I do not support attack on our fellow man but let me share my experience with you all. In 2000, when i went to Japan on a business trip(from Tata), Delhi airport imigration asked why I can not speak Hindi as I am Indian. I said I am from TN and I do not speak Hindi, he said to be an Indian, i must speak Hindi. At that time, I did not say anything and left for Japan.
Same day, i wrote a letter to AAI and no action was taken till date.
My question is, why media does not focus supporting minority like Tamils in India??
Do i need to speak Hindi to be an Indian?? I did not mean to hurt anyone but this is my long standing question.
Re: why
by sachin jadhav on May 31, 2009 09:30 AM
That was a strange incident that has happened with you. I agree with your stand that knowing hindi only doesnt makes anyone indian. Some of our PMs and even President were not well versed with it. We need patriotism and love for country and its people not some craze for language.
Re: why
by samyakgowda on May 31, 2009 09:47 AM
To be an Indian and to have unity, one must respect other cultures and languages and not be a blind follower of anything.
There's no doubt that the person you met at Delhi airport was a Hindi Taliban.
That was absolutely wrong and such officials must be dismissed for their racial (Yes, it is racial), extremist comments.
At the same time, in Tamil Nadu you expect everyone to speak Tamil.
The question is where you draw the line.
Every national, when he is in his home state, must speak in his language. If the person doesn't understand your language, then one must accommodate in English. Only after that should one go ahead and try speak any other language he or she knows before the communication breaks down completely.
The airport official should have immediately switched to English (Which, I'm sure he did) and should not have asked you the extremist question which he did.
Our constitution has given the 'National Language' status to 22 languages and Hindi is just one of them.
Hindi and English are the official languages of the central government. Even if the official did not know English (Which is complete balderdash), he must politely direct you to someone who knows English.
So, you did not do anything wrong, except in defending yourself. You should have rubbed it to the official's face by saying that Tamil is a national language too and you not knowing Tamil doesn't make you a non-Indian.
Re: Re: why
by samyakgowda on May 31, 2009 09:47 AM
And you should have even gone to the extreme of asking him to shove his HINDI-EXTREMISM up the holes of his family members and not bring it to public places.
Re: why
by A Very on May 31, 2009 09:31 AM
No, you need not speak Hindi to be an Indian.
But, on the other hand, when you go to some city like Mumbai, how do you communicate..?
At a workplace, speaking English may be okay, but, it is not possible to speak English to everyone.
Frequently, I travel to southern states and once we leave big cities, language becomes a problem.
We need a common language and normally, we would adopt a language that is spoken by more number of people. Hindi is also closer to many other languages like Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati etc.
Hindi zealots like you saw at airport and Dravid nationalists in Tamilnadu have complicated the issue.
Otherwise, any person from southern states when he/she comes to north speaks Hindi.
It is just a medium of communication, not a measure of some state's supremacy or inferiority.
Re: Re: why
by tamilsel on May 31, 2009 09:41 AM
issue is, not whether one can speak hindi or not.. but expecting someone to speak hindi - call him indian..
Glad to see Indian Govt, known personalities and citizens to raise voice against these attacks on Indians. But, where were these voices when north Indians were beaten up and harassed in Maharashtra. When our Govt. can not control racism in India, how can they question other countries.
Re: What happened during Maharashtra v/s U.P
by messenger on May 31, 2009 10:02 AM
North indians have no respect for local culture & language, how many of them learnt to speak in Marathi even after living there for like ever??....Forget that, they even mock & laugh at local culture, tradition & everything that is not HINDI. They are arrogant, ignorant and have a superiority attitude even though parts of North India is the poorest in India.
Was there not enough attention when the news leaked out of his grabbing a cheap farming land thru' fraud and forgery declaring himself falsely as a farmer's son hiding the identity of his natural father? Or did he not?
Re: Attention for wrong reason?
by ReadWrite on May 31, 2009 08:49 AM
Are you sick? You are a racist I would say who don't respect other's pain. Have you seen his dad on TV? yourself will cry if you look at him man, he is pitty now that is loosing his son who is in coma now. You sick!
Re: Re: Re: Attention for wrong reason?
by ReadWrite on May 31, 2009 09:20 AM
I'm sorry, I read it wrongly. You were in fact right. AB is just a greedy guy.
I wonder if the government of Australia or other nations should start reacting in the same manner after hearing about the thousands of their citizens who get fleeced, robbed, or raped when they tour India.
Re: Quid pro quo?
by ReadWrite on May 31, 2009 08:55 AM
For that matter you can further add two Australian missionaries were burnt alive in West Bengal. What's your problem man? if you don't like India, don't be here please get lost. Do you think for just matter of $25, those idiots were getting converted to other religion.
Re: Quid pro quo?
by usha sundaram on May 31, 2009 08:47 AM
Two wrong actions does not make one right action. If your brother was attacked like tis, would you console yourself, by saying quid pro quo?
It's not surprising that Aussies R involved in Racism. This Racism has begun from sports (especially with Aussie Cricketers) itself.
Even, I have heard with few Traders in TN who has been flying regularly on Tourist Visa's being organised by Consumer appliances company as sales promotional Tour were subject 2 mental torture & moneys were being robbed by the Aussies & often beats the tourist.
Because of the racism & mis-behave our dreams were shattered, since most of the Indians ants down 2 settle in Australia.
The Aussie government should award the highest punishment.
Re: Racism by Aussies
by ReadWrite on May 31, 2009 08:16 AM
It didn't begin from Cricket, but we came to know from Cricket. It exist in Australia every since they born. Though I'm from India, it's not new that I heard of, I have been hearing this kind of news since my college days.
Brett Lee and Adam Gilchrist are the exception to the list. They are really good guys.
Re: Re: Re: Racism by Aussies
by ReadWrite on May 31, 2009 08:45 AM
Can you name few incidents that happened with these two players? They are wonderful performers, you can't blame them because of it.
