How important is Hindi????

[Oracle]

Finally I have observed that some people non Hindi people from some far off remote corner of the country seem to be waging war against Idli Sambar.I understand that there is nothing to talk about their own vernacular so they tend to eulogise Hindi.

There are only guns and bullets were they come from and learning their own mother tongue cannot provide them with jobs in AFSPA land.So they migrate in huge numbers and have no alternative to learning Hindi, since it is easier for them than learning Tamil, Kannada, Telugu or Malayalam.

Vannakaaam Saaar! How could one wage war against foods? Idli, sambar is a part of the diet of many from AFSPA land who have migrated. However, the point to notice is that migration from the NE belt is mostly in highly skilled jobs, apart from some ladies working in massage parlors. Also, knowing or learning Hindi does not provide the migrated AFSPA land people to get a job, it's English Saaaar!

Mother language matters to everyone in the NE, however Hindi takes precedence over own vernacular when it comes to communication between different tribes and communities. That's what keeps communal harmony. One language binding all. Hindi is not mandatory in schools in NE, however it is as popular as is English. Even state language is not compulsory in schools. And as about migration, this is seasonal, during campus placements. And Tamilnadu is the least preferred destination. Most preferred is Bangalore, then Hyderabad and then NCR. As about learning Tamil, Kannada, Telugu or Malayalam, why don't the preachers start learning Hindi? Would be nice.

 

[Phenom]

It's rare for South Indians to go to the Hindi belt. Mumbai and NCR are the only two northward destinations. South Indians shuttle at ease between Bangalore, Mysore, Mangalore, Coimbatore, Chennai, Kochi, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, and Visakhapatnam, and converge at Tirupati.

Between Southern cities, English is the binding language. Even in Tier-III urbanish-towns like Guntur, Vellore, or Dharwad, Auto drivers will speak good-enough English to take you around.

Hindi is spoken only in state capitals where there's an influx of youth from the north seeking education or employment in industries where no Indian language (not even Hindi) is relevant, only English is. Eventually all those youth get versed with local languages.

So that gives you an illusion that Hindi is spreading south. It's not, it's the other way around.

It's speakers of Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malyalam that are growing. A kid that comes from Meerut to Hyderabad to work uses English at work, eventually learns Telugu, and settles down here. In A.P., there's an entire community of people from Braj (Western UP), who have settled down here and became Telugu speakers over the century.

One other thing people from the north completely ignore is how people within the south communicate with each other. I have always found that people who travel within south India have little difficulty picking up the local language. There are scores of Telugus in Chennai who speak fluent Tamil, similarly most Tamils who deal with other states speak the local language. I am myself trying to learn basic Telugu. Most importantly people learn another language on their own, not because the central govt is thrusting it down their throats.

IMO, while people from south who migrate to other cities have no problem learning the local language. But that is not the case with people from north who migrate south, they not only have some reluctance towards learning the local language, but instead they ask the locals to learn Hindi. And its a problem not just in the south but in other places as well, like Maharastra.

 

[Bangalorean]

I have lived in Bangalore, please don't lie.

Well, you just don't know enough. You might have lived your life in Bangalore in some corner of the city with your coterie of fellowmen, and stuck to your circle of home-friends-colleagues-office. That doesn't give you the right to accuse others of "lying".

A variety of people live in Bangalore. Places like Pillanna Garden, lingarajpuram, Rammurthy Nagar, etc. are heavily Tamil-dominated. There are lots of people there, from various classes of society, who know no language other than Tamil and English. There are huge slums in that area too, full of poor Tamil labourers, who know no language other than Tamil. There are localities like Govindpura, Venkateshpura, Arabic college post, Tannery road, etc. which are Muslim dominated areas, where lots of people know no language other than Urdu, and some of them know Urdu and Kannada. There are localities like Vijaynagar, Nagarbhavi, Basavangudi etc. which are "traditional areas", Kannada dominated, where people speak Kannada. There are localities like BTM layout, Koramangala, Indiranagar, etc. which have a huge IT population, and where Hindi and English work as well as any other languages. (how many of the above areas have you heard of btw?)

The fact remains, however, that broken English will get you along very well - you will not really face big problems in your day to day life. The auto driver will understand and communicate in broken English, as will restaurant waiters. Your landlord will most certainly understand and speak English, even if he cannot speak it fluently. Salesgirls in supermarkets, pizza delivery men, bank clerks, policemen - they will all be able to communicate with you in English/Kanglish. Obviously the people living in slums, daily wage labourers etc. will not understand your English, but unless you are planning to go in for a construction job which involves daily interaction with such people, you will be fine.

It is always good to learn Kannada or Hindi to make life easier. Learning Kannada has the advantage that people will not be able to rip you off easily, and it helps in scrapes on the road. Learning Hindi will make it easy for you if you choose to move to Mumbai, NCR, or other parts of the country.

 

[tarunraju]

That's just living in denial. Two South Indian families live in my neighborhood, one from Kerala, another one from Tamilnadu. You can find them everywhere here in NCR region. I have been to Bangalore and Hyderabad, never found any difficulty in talking to people in Hindi. Most people in big cities use Hindi where it has been accepted as the bridge.

Please don't make it a clash of civilizations.

Read the sentence next to the one you highlighted in my post. I'm not making this a clash. I'm just trying to say that you don't need Hindi to survive in Bangalore. Like some other people who have lived their entire lives in Bangalore said, a good command over English will get you anywhere in the South. You will inevitably learn the local language once you've lived long enough.

The Marwadi family in my colony that has lived in Hyderabad for over a generation gets Eenadu and Deccan Chronicle in the morning, not Dainik Bhaskar.

At best, Hindi is optional in the South. English is essential for survival, and command over the local language a huge plus.

 

[maomao]

Hindi is as important just as any other regional language to conserve the native cultures and identity of the nation!

 

[tarunraju]

Hindi is as important just as any other regional language to conserve the native cultures and identity of the nation!

Yes, Hindi is important for the Hindi belt, as much as the other languages are to the parts of the country where they are official languages.

India doesn't need propagation of Hindi for national integration, and the irrelevance of Hindi in the South shouldn't be perceived as a rejection of the North, or animosity towards Hindi-speakers.

 

[Koovie]

OK, here's Bangalorean, the final authority on all matters related to Bangalore

You don't need to learn Hindi to survive in Bangalore - even Kannada is not necessary. English will do fine, as long as you don't get into something involving last-mile sales or direct marketing which requires a lot of interaction with the locals. Remember however, that when it comes to interacting with shopkeepers, drivers, etc. broken English, more accurately "Kanglish" (Kannada-English), will help more than fluent proper English.

You will get the hang of it pretty soon - no sweat.

well thats the answer I waited for. However one of my cousins is already sending a letter of application to a bangalorean company of german origin. English should be enough for the job a you said and I think he wont be the only Malayalee in Bangalore

 

[KS]

I have some cousins studying in germany. They will finish the school with the highest german secondary school graduation. They want to come back to India after school to study (economics) and to find a job, However they dont speak Hindi but Malayalam Englsih and German, one of them a bit french too. How necessary is Hindi in cities like Bangalore to find a job? Does anyone have personal experience ?

If its Banglaore you just need Tamil to survive. No not kidding.

But if he knows English he ll make it just fine.

 

[KS]

I was making the point that as far as the south is concerned Hindi is as foreign as English and less useful. Far better to learn Telegu/Tamil/Kannada/Malayalam

you would be better off with English than Hindi in Tamil Nadu as more people understand and speak English than Hindi.

To south indians hindi is the uncivilised language of the teeming overcrowded masses of the gangetic plains and a clear and present danger to their way of life.

 

[KS]

In Kolkata, things are different, Its like any other real metropolitan in India where Hindi has displaced the local language as lingua-franca. That's what I mean.

Except in Chennai

I have to agree with Bangalorean. You don't need to know Kannada to survive in Banglaore or for that matter Hindi. Local languages have taken a back seat in almost all parts of India. IMHO, Hindi is the best language all across India, as it binds people together.

On a side note, this thread has been hijacked by idli & sambar party, plus some trolls.

And the momo dumplings are coming to save it ? eh ?

 

[KS]

That's just living in denial. Two South Indian families live in my neighborhood, one from Kerala, another one from Tamilnadu. You can find them everywhere here in NCR region. I have been to Bangalore and Hyderabad, never found any difficulty in talking to people in Hindi. Most people in big cities use Hindi where it has been accepted as the bridge.

Please don't make it a clash of civilizations.

Thats what he said. Except in Mumbai/NCR which other areas in North has a significant or even a marginal South population ?

When was the last time you saw a Tamil in Ghaziabad or a Mallu in Meerut ?

 

[KS]

Vannakaaam Saaar! How could one wage war against foods? Idli, sambar is a part of the diet of many from AFSPA land who have migrated. However, the point to notice is that migration from the NE belt is mostly in highly skilled jobs, apart from some ladies working in massage parlors. Also, knowing or learning Hindi does not provide the migrated AFSPA land people to get a job, it's English Saaaar!

That is outright lying. I can see mongoloids everywhere from cutting centres in garment business to those boys who pick up the plates in hotels.

Actually the high skilled migration is particularly true for South Indians who do not migrate to UP/Bihar/North East to work as construction workers or hotel servers

Mother language matters to everyone in the NE, however Hindi takes precedence over own vernacular when it comes to communication between different tribes and communities. That's what keeps communal harmony. One language binding all. Hindi is not mandatory in schools in NE, however it is as popular as is English. Even state language is not compulsory in schools. And as about migration, this is seasonal, during campus placements. And Tamilnadu is the least preferred destination. Most preferred is Bangalore, then Hyderabad and then NCR.

Good for us !

As about learning Tamil, Kannada, Telugu or Malayalam, why don't the preachers start learning Hindi? Would be nice.

You come to South not the other way around. We don't see South Indians cribbing "oh these damn Roti-wallhas should learn Tamil/Telugu so that we can speak with them". Want to earn a livelihood in South ? Learn our language.

 

[KS]

India doesn't need propagation of Hindi for national integration, and the irrelevance of Hindi in the South shouldn't be perceived as a rejection of the North, or animosity towards Hindi-speakers.

You nailed it.

Damn these rotiwallahs (j/k) dont understand it.

 

[pehchan kaun]

Hindi is an important language and you MUST learn it.... good luck, hindi is as important as english in britan...

 

[Oracle]

That is outright lying. I can see mongoloids everywhere from cutting centres in garment business to those boys who pick up the plates in hotels.

Actually the high skilled migration is particularly true for South Indians who do not migrate to UP/Bihar/North East to work as construction workers or hotel servers

Don't mistake Nepalis to be people from the NE. I can differentiate as I know them and the language they speak.

Good for us !

This would not remain the case. With globalization and job opportunities, more and more people will flock to the South, and the local language will take a back-seat. Just a matter of time. I even know some Telegu guys working in Guwahati. So, it's all about a good life. I for one am ready to go to Bihar if the job offered is promising, and ofcourse rewarding.

Chennai, well, sambar is very tasty there, but no thanks!

You come to South not the other way around. We don't see South Indians cribbing "oh these damn Roti-wallhas should learn Tamil/Telugu so that we can speak with them". Want to earn a livelihood in South ? Learn our language.

You actually contradicted your own point in that statement. And please speak for your own. There are Telegu/Malayalam/Kannada guys in here who can take care of theirs. South doesn't mean Tamilnadu. It comprises of 4 states.

And no, I won't. It was English always, or Hindi. If you learn Hindi, maybe we can talk in Hindi via PM.

If its Banglaore you just need Tamil to survive. No not kidding.

But if he knows English he ll make it just fine.

Yeah! And be ready to get bashed whenever there is a riot of any kind.

 

[tarunraju]

Hindi is an important language and you MUST learn it.... good luck, hindi is as important as english in britan...

Yeah, to survive in UP/Bihar.

 

[tarunraju]

This would not remain the case. With globalization and job opportunities, more and more people will flock to the South, and the local language will take a back-seat.

Unless Microsoft, Cisco and IBM use Hindi in their worldwide communications, even Hindi will take the backseat along with local languages.

Globalization doesn't facilitate spread of Hindi to the South, it facilitates the spread of English to the Hindi belt. A kid growing up in Patna or Gorakhpur will know that if his English is not up to the mark, his MNC prospects are screwed.

 

[Oracle]

Unless Microsoft, Cisco and IBM use Hindi in their worldwide communications, even Hindi will take the backseat along with local languages.

Globalization doesn't facilitate spread of Hindi to the South, it facilitates the spread of English to the North. A kid growing up in Patna or Gorakhpur will know that if his English is not spick and span, his MNC prospects are screwed.

You did not get my point. It's people I am talking about.

South is developed now and hence more job opportunities. So people come here for jobs. Now who are these people? They are people who belong to states other than the south. So, eventually and slowly Hindi would propagate. I am not asking anyone to learn it. This is a free country. You might be surprised, but I managed to live in Chennai with mostly English, and Hindi too. The guy I used to buy smoke from, learnt a lot of Hindi from me, because he wanted to.

Presently, NE is troubled. But I believe there would come a time when investors would be flocking to NE when terrorism subsides. The climate is awesome, better than the rest of the Country actually. And since population is an ever increasing thing, there would not be enough jobs generated for all people in the south. So, even people from south might go to NE for a better life. There you can manage with Hindi/English.

 

[pehchan kaun]

Unless Microsoft, Cisco and IBM use Hindi in their worldwide communications, even Hindi will take the backseat along with local languages.

Globalization doesn't facilitate spread of Hindi to the South, it facilitates the spread of English to the Hindi belt. A kid growing up in Patna or Gorakhpur will know that if his English is not up to the mark, his MNC prospects are screwed.

hmmmm.... thats really not good, english is a shit language , besides its not ours..

 

[tarunraju]

You did not get my point. It's people I am talking about.

South is developed now and hence more job opportunities. So people come here for jobs. Now who are these people? They are people who belong to states other than the south. So, eventually and slowly Hindi would propagate. I am not asking anyone to learn it. This is a free country.

Yes, it's the same people I'm talking about. For them to come down south, they'll need to speak a language that their companies understand, and that obviously is English, not Hindi. They will speak to their coworkers, both local and from the North, in English, eventually English becomes their de facto language, something even an Idli Center waiter will understand.

Currently, there are parts of the Hindi belt that have completely done away with English. English medium schooling is just a luxury of a few thousand kids in district headquarters. What the southbound-rush will do is ensure that English medium schooling will spread, because English will have become a necessity.

Presently, NE is troubled. But I believe there would come a time when investors would be flocking to NE when terrorism subsides. The climate is awesome, better than the rest of the Country actually. And since population is an ever increasing thing, there would not be enough jobs generated for all people in the south. So, even people from south might go to NE for a better life. There you can manage with Hindi/English.

If there's a job-rush to say Manipur or Nagaland, English will be relevant, not Hindi. The people who will invest in the NE will conduct their business in English, the way they do in the South.

Besides, you know better, Far-North-East people are excellent English speakers, they are the most westernised Indians. Their English is far better than their Hindi.