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How Readers reacted to Saisuresh Sivaswamy's earlier column

Date sent: Mon, 20 Apr 1998 17:23:28 -0500
From: Himanshu Deoskar <himanshu.deoskar@walkerparking.com>
Subject: Saisuresh Sivaswamy's column

Dear Mr Sivaswamy,

I read your articles quite regularly and want to congratulate you on writing such perceptive views.

I just want to mention one thing which you have written in your recent article, 'Jaya and the art of laying landmines': 'The question is not of any intrinsic defect in Hindi, but of the sense of elevating one among the numerous that are current in the land to a special status, and I daresay that I am in agreement with this.'

As for India where the dialect changes every 11 kms there cannot be any one or two languages that can be understood by everyone.

I am a constitutionalist and if I must say, after reading Nehru's views which were incorporated in the Constitution also, that Hindi/Urdu and English were given national status, because of the number of people who understood these languages. Of these, English was to be eliminated within 10 years of Independence that is by 1957. But because of many factors involved including political lack of willingness and continuation of a class system separated by language, the limit was kept on being increased. But the fact still remains that our Constitution makers wanted to give one language which would bind the nation together and they chose Hindi/Urdu for that among all the languages.

I would request you to not to refer to phrase like "...one among the numerous ..." for Hindi/Urdu, if you also feel that our Constitution is our first and last truth we should abide by. (If we change it that is another thing, then we should abide by the changed one)

Himanshu S Deoskar

Elgin, IL 60123

Date sent: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 15:51:03 -0500
From: Sony <sonya@zebra.net>
Subject: Jaya and the art of laying landmines

I am of the view that not only should the other languages be made official, but also English should be banned altogether. Anybody who speaks English should be killed. Technological advances are brought forth only because of this global language called English. I strongly feel that all the problems in India (starting from povery and ending in natural calamities like earthquakes) are caused by English. We should also try our best to force those beautiful languages in Europe and America (We are quite capable of producing the best terrorism in the world I am sure ).

Sony

Date sent: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 13:02:16 -0500
From: Anurag Chauhan <chauhan@cig.mot.com>
Subject: Jaya and the art of laying landmines

Most of the time the writer does not know what he is talking about and is biased to the so-called 'secular forces.' He says he is in favour of what Jaya 'is doing for the Tamil language. I daresay that I am in agreement with this.' But at the same time he says it is wrong... so what is he doing? FAVOURING A WRONG SIDE AND ENLIGHTENING US WITH HIS THOUGHTS???

ANURAG

Saisuresh Sivaswamy