Role of Languages in National Development and Integration

       India is a bouquet (gulistan) of different languages and dialects.  We have had evidence of great civilizations Harappan, Mauryan to Moghul and the British.  If we x-ray the Indian culture, you will find glimpses of Greek (Unani), Persian, Harappan, Arabic, Mangolian, Pre-Vedic, Aryan to Dravidian and to the latest British. India has always welcomed new cultures and customs thereby enriching itself bountifully with a glue of different shades and colours.  

      Languages do not belong to any religion and luckily they are not patented, yet, by the commercial geeks.  Good, great God.  On the other hand, the Dialect has limitations of community, caste and geographicals regions.  But, both are interrelated by means of bonding area-wise and community-wise.  The Indian languages and dialects have played an important role in the socio-economic development and integration of the country which has resulted in the literary and cultural development as also in the field of  arts and handicrafts (like kashmiri and bhadohi carpets, bidriware, moradabadi crafts, etc).

       Languages and Dialects have been used positively as also negatively both by the earlier rajas and nawabs and to the present political leaders with a sectarian appeal. The formation of different States in India has resulted in bonding in some states but has also led to exclusion of other communities, languages speaking people and people from different regions of India (for e.g. case of Maharashtra).  Of-course, the name of Maharashtra refers to amalgamation of different rashtra, communities, cultures and customs.  Alas, what a political churning and malida.  The positive usage of the language is reflected in the case of Telugu Pride by the N.T. Rama Rao and Gujrati Pride by Narendra Modi.  The Dravidians have used the Anti-Hindi Movement to block the dominance/spread of Hindi to the non-hindi speaking areas/regions. If language has been the cause of bonding on linguistic basis, it has also been cause of breaking-up and tensions as in the case of Punjab (broke to yield, a hindi speaking State of Haryana), the Belgaum where a clash exists between Marathis and Kannandigas, like-wise you hae tensions between dogri and kashmiri, etc.etc.

      The Dialects like (mythili, tulu, deccani urdu, haryanvi and telangana telugu, gorkhali in west-bengal, etc.) are powerful source of bonding of different castes and communities.  The Political Leaders in India have on different times suitable to them have used the dialects negtively for creating a political movement, seperate state, autonomous region, seperate entity.  The communal and caste riots (comcast riots) in the north-eastern states  are a good example of exploitation by the political leaders on the grounds of race, ethnicity, language and dialects.

       STRONG ACTION REQUIRED

       India is on trajectory to become a Super Power, very soon.  It cannot be a silent spectator to the deeds of a few, who exploit  on the basis of language and dialects for political gains.  Of-course, there are some genuine people's movements for justice and socio-economic enrichment of a particular region or community which should be handled by the Goverment at the State/Central level.  

      Some constructive suggestions are given, here-under, for being considered for implementation/usage:-

i)     The Election Commission should ban the usage of language and dialects for negative political gains by creating divisions in different religions, communities, castes, races, ethnicity, colour and creed.  A strong Code of Conduct should be evolved and implementated forthwith without any laxity.  This will save billions of rupees on account of losses to the Nation.

ii)     The National Commission for Linguistic Minorities should be re-vamped and more financial, administrative as well as  judicial powers be given.  Ordinary Indians, do not even know about this Commission.  Hence, calls for urgent upgradation/revamping.

iii)    The Home Ministry, Ministry of Minority Affairs as well as Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment have failed in preventing, controlling and in post-rehabilitation of the COMCAST RIOTS in diffrent parts of India.

iv)     An appropriate column should be created in the Annual Appraisal Records of Gazetted Officers from the rank of Station House Officer to the Director General of Police as well from that of Tehsildar to the Collector/DM on to the Chief Secretary of a State for the purposes of promotion and postings.  Good officers should be incentivised and confidential information of secular and good officers should be maintained by the Intelligence Bureau for good purposes and shall be made available to the Chief Ministers for the sake of promotions/postings, etc.

v)      Accountability should be fixed from the level of  SHO to the DGP as well as from the Tehsildar to the DM/Collector for the Comcast and Linguistic Riots.

vi)     Judical Commissions should be made Time-Bound say the least for 3-4 months.  Action Taken Reports should again be time-bound and be placed on the Table of the House of the Assembly or Parliament.

vii)     Above all, a seperate National Commission for Prevention, Control and Rehabilitation of Comcast and Linguistic Riots be created directly under the supervision of the Prime Minister and the Supreme Court.

             There is no end to the suggestions like above.  Can be added on and on.  But the crux lies in implementation and monitoring by the highest political and judicial authorities of the country.

Jago India Jago.  Mera Desh Mahan.

Aapka Humdard.

Caste and Communal Riots in India and how to tackle them

      It is a common knowledge that prior to independence, the British have practically used the existence of different castes and communities in Indian Sub-Continent to their advantage by creating friction between these groups.  These frictions have later grown up as caste clashes and communal riots.  To prolong their rule over the natives, the British has along been using this dirty weapon quite often.  You can glance through the post independence scenario of the common wealth countries, like India, the Middle East, the Palestinian, the Iran-Iraq, the African continent, etc. etc, which endorses the British Policy of Divide and Rule, the Natives.  This has cost the World Community dearly.  The cancer has spread all over the world and the poor post independant Governments of the Common Wealth are still struggling to deal with it.  Sooner to over come this menace, the better it will be, for the common good of the humanity.

        After the Independence, post  mega communal riots of partition, the then Government of India took an excellent action to integrate different princely states numbering about thousand five hundred headed mini & mega nawabs, rajas and maharajas into the Union of India.  On different occasions, the Government had to take various army actions, police actions in Hyderabad, Kashmir and Goa, etc. Eventually, all these actions have resulted in the present form of the Indian State.  Well done, the GoI.

       Surprisingly, during the past 65 years of the post independence era, India has witnessed, tens of thousands of communal and caste riots, spread over across India - be it from UP to AP or from Kashmir to Kerala.  More or less, every Indian is aware of the innumerable reasons on which communal and caste riots occur, flare up and extinguish, leaving thereby deep scars which take long time to heal.  Many a times, it is also seen that the Government both at the Union and the State level has failed to prevent, control or rehabilitate the affected post riots.

        The Ministry of Home Affairs both at the Central and State levels have failed, time and again, despite the availability of the services of specialised intelligence gathering agencies, the CRPF, the Rapid Action Force, the State Armed Police Battalions, the general Law and Order Police Forces in controlling these comcaste riots.  May be, the MHA is too vast a Ministry to handle issues from Disaster Management to Official Language.  Even, at the level of the State Governments, the Chief Ministers or the State Home Ministers including their Chief Secretaries and the DGPs have failed to tackle these comcaste riots.

Therefore, it is time to ponder.  We should take strong measures, some of which are suggested below to handle this recurrant problem; if India has to become a Super Power in the near future:-
a)  Immediately, create a seperate Ministry for National Integration and Communal Harmony.  The least, can be to create a Seperate Department under the MHA, directly under the charge of a junior MoS who should eihter report to Home Minister or the Prime Minister.  It is necessary to mention here, the concept of National Integration Council, etc. (ad-hoc and limited measures have failed, till now).
b)   Like, the National Disaster Response Force, a seperate National Communal Harmony Force should be created by integrating some battalions from the CRPF and RAF, etc.
c)   The political parties/organisations should be given a Code of Conduct by the Election Commission to desist from patronising the comcaste elements/organisations
d)  Special Fast Track Courts be established for Comcaste Riots.
e)  Aadhar Cards should be used for post-riot Rehabilitation Packages and Schemes for the affected persons
f)   The Commissions of  Enquiry/Judicial Commissions should given a time-bound reports, say, within 90 days and not later than 100 days of the occurance of the incident.  The follow-up Action Taken Report should invariably put up on the Table of the Legislative Assembly or Parliament, as the case may be, within a time bound period of say-60 days.
g)   The Unit Level Action/Monitoring is of prime importance in the case of comcaste riots.  The Station House Officer (SHO) and the S.P. alongwith the District Magistrate/District Collection should be made responsible and accountable.  If good work done, these officers should be incentivised and honoured.
h)   Least but not the last, the Hon.ble Prime Minister and the Chief Minister should review the situation every month devoting atleast an Hour on the date of the Review.  Suggestions have been deliberately limited to avoid a lengthy Blog.

       The above are some of the suggestions to handle the comcaste riots.  India can save billions of rupees of  losses, per annum.  It can surely rise to be the Super Power in the first half of the 21st Century.
Jago India Jago- Aapka Humdard
Jai Hind.