Hindi etc.

[Cyber Maadhva Sangha]

> > > It isn't true (in my experience) that Hindi/Urdu is generally better 
> > > understood than English in the south.
> > 
> > That's 'cause you probably haven't seen much, if any, of it outside
> > Tamil Nadu.  Look at Hyderabad, Raichur, Gulbarga, Belgaum, etc.
> > 
> > Regards,
> > 
> > Shrisha Rao
> > 
> 
> I've seen places outside Tamil Nadu (Mysore, Bangalore, Mangalore,
> Calicut) -- vistied the first three frequently and lived in the second --
> it isn't true in these places that Hindi/Urdu is better understood than
> English,

Well, now, Calicut is not exactly part of the area under
consideration.  As for the first three (none of which I actually
mentioned), I have some assurance that your experience cannot be
representative, because I happen to come from those parts myself.
Bangalore has had, especially in the last 10-15 years, a lot of
Punjabis, Gujaratis, etc., coming in, and the native Kannada speakers
are themselves in a bit of a minority.  You wouldn't get anywhere
trying to direct an auto-driver in English: most are Urdu-speaking
Muslims with less than a high-school education.

In fact, Karnataka has slightly more than the national average
percentage of Muslims, and all speak Urdu at home.  I'm quite sure
there aren't as many fluent English speakers as Muslims -- this alone
proves the point.  There's also even an Urdu program on tv in
Bangalore, has been for some years now.

One point to be noted is that your ability to judge how well
Hindi/Urdu are spoken and received, would be related to your own
ability to speak those languages fluently.  May I ask if you do speak
them well?  If not, it is but natural that people would speak to you
everywhere in English only, making your judgement questionable.

Regards,

Shrisha Rao

> Gail

http://www.rit.edu/~mrreee/dvaita.html