Vital Statistics

[Vishal Agarwal]

----Original Message Follows----
From: Samar Abbas <abbas at IOPB.RES.IN>
Subject: Re: Vital Statistics
Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 11:08:14 +0530

SA: In India, what constitutes language and dialect are settled by
differences of script - thus few claim that Bengali is a dialect of
Hindi. Consistent logic demands that since Bhojpuri, Rajasthani, Maithili
and Khari Boli use different scripts, these be recognised as different
languages.
VA: By that logic, Marathi, Sanskrit and Nepali would become dialects of
Hindi because they all use the devanagari script.

SA:Unfortunately, vested interests are attempting to destroy these
languages. Hence the stubborn refusal in certain quarters to concede
demands for the restoration of these ancient languages.
VA: Really? Which vested interests? Which quarters? On the other hand, there
are indeed some quarters which want to break the unity of India.

SA:but there is a native Chhatisgarhi movement underway trying to
declare Chhatisgarhi a separate language. That this has been extremely
successful can be seen from the recent creation of a separate Chhatisgarh
state. Sooner or later, Chhatisgarhi is going to surface in censuses all
across the world as an independant language.
VA: Chhatisgarh is still a part of Madhya Pradesh.

SA: The concept of `monolithic Hindi' is a relic of a past era and arose
merely because there was a lack of awareness and conciousness of cultural
heritage amongst ethnic Bhojpuris, Mithilis and Rajasthanis in the early
1900s.
VA: Rather the Khari boli dialect is rapidly displacing these languages.

SA: As literacy spreads, these peoples are rediscovering their roots.
The power bloc which suppressed these languages for the past 50 years is now
in irreversible decline;
VA: Which power bloc?? If someone suffers fom persecution mania, it is not
the fault of others.
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