It is not that back in the past that the hi-court of Bangalore issued a judgment that Kannada must be the medium of teaching in private schools. I felt quite relieved hearing the news first that my wife did not have to learn Kannada first before taking classes on computer science to the students as she is a full time homemaker now. However, when I returned home, reality settled in while greeting my young one with a smile.
How many languages will my daughter have to learn once she starts going to school? Being a global medium of communication, she has to learn English for sure. How about Hindi? Being an Indian citizen, I do not feel it right that my kid do not know our national language. Then how about my mother tongue? I do not expect my kid to talk to my grandma in English – so she has to learn Malayalam too. In addition, with the latest ruling, she has to learn Kannada if she is going to study in Bangalore. I pity my child – she would end up learning four languages along with her science and math subjects.
Whatever institutes have permission to teach in English are either away from the city or already have their fees structure “revised” to make the maximum out of the situation. Seems like I need to be another Ratan Tata or Vijay Mallya to have my daughter studying in a reasonably good school. My fellow malayalee CPM comrades – march to Bangalore!
It was not my “Shiv sena” (name actually suits them – as Lord Shiva deals with punishment and destruction) friends who were on an outcry this time. They are against only “westernization” and their influence such as kisses, dating etc ..While still praying to “Vyatsa Maharshi” who wrote “Kamasutra”. I do not think I need to explain what it is to my readers. Rather, this time my fellow “Kannada” friends who wanted their language to be “protected”.
My humble opinion is that options such as languages should left to an individual’s choice and there should be enough schools around to choose from based on the languages in they teach. It is the blind extremism that a language should be taught whether an individual wants it or not – which still keeps our mother India divided.
Being in Bangalore for the last 7-8 years I never felt it is necessary to know Kannada to survive except when I had to fight with Autofella’s or street vendors. The latest verdict is surely not the right step towards the progress of the IT hub of India as people from all over India still pours into this crammed space.
I have seriously started thinking of shifting my workplace to my native and give my child a breath space in her life with at least one language less to learn. At least my state cater to good educational institutions where they do not charge a lifetime saving to teach your kiddo.
If any of my kannada friends are annoyed, can’t help… I need to think of the future of my kid and I do not believe in going back – rather would like to move forward in my life.
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