Latest news with #GaneshDevy
Indian Express
06-08-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Covert imposition of Hindi as default third language undermines regional identity: linguist Ganesh Devy
The Maharashtra government's plan to introduce a third language from Class 1 in state schools has been put on hold after drawing criticism from education experts and political leaders. A committee has now been set up to review the move. Pallavi Smart spoke to noted linguist and literary critic Professor Ganesh Devy, who has led the People's Linguistic Survey of India. He explains why the move may be harmful for students, how language learning should be approached in schools, and why language policy should be shaped by local needs, not political agendas. Q: Is it academically appropriate to introduce a third language at the Class 1 level? What kind of impact can it have? Ganesh Devy: No, it is not appropriate. Pedagogically and from a linguistic perspective, it is not desirable to formally introduce a third language in school at such a young age. It is also inappropriate from the standpoint of child psychology. Furthermore, the imposition of any one language as a third language is inconsistent with the Constitution of India. Q: The government says children with parents having different mother tongues are already managing to learn both languages well, along with one at school and another in the locality, proving that their brains can pick up various languages at this age. Is that true? Devy: No, there is a difference between informally picking up words and sentences and formally learning a language in school. A good example is this—very few people in Maharashtra have formally learned Hindi, but almost all of them speak it well enough to ensure smooth conversation. This proves that formal education is not always necessary to pick up a language. Unfortunately, there is a lot of confusion around the role of language in the country — it has become an ideological debate. This has led to decisions like the imposition of Hindi as a third language. In this entire debate, pedagogical considerations have been sidelined, while political positions have come to the forefront. This is not good for education, and therefore, not good for Maharashtra. Furthermore, being multilingual and formally learning a language are two different things. There are successful multilingual education programmes, but in those, multilingualism is a pedagogical tool, not just a language-learning objective. In a multilingual education format, children are given access to content in multiple languages to aid comprehension. The focus is on what best facilitates learning for the child, not what is most convenient for the teacher. For example, a child from a multilingual household, where both parents have different mother tongues and the school uses yet another language, can be supported by a teacher who helps the child navigate content in different languages. The goal is to identify which language facilitates faster learning. Other languages can be learned as the child progresses. This is entirely different from the forced imposition of a third language merely for the sake of learning that language. Q: Has there been any research on how many languages should be introduced to a child for formal education, particularly at the Class 1 level? Devy: Yes, there is ample research in this area. It suggests that during the first two years of schooling, the ideal medium should be the language spoken at home or in the locality. Then, after the age of 10 or 11, a second language can be formally introduced. After that, the third, fourth, or even more languages can be added for formal learning. The older three-language formula followed this logic: begin with the mother tongue, introduce English around Class 6, and then introduce Hindi or another language around Class 7. It was a well-thought-out practice. However, today, there is a strong demand for English from the very beginning. Unfortunately, we are now too far into that trend to reverse it, due to economic and social development. In this context, English should be introduced alongside Marathi or the child's mother tongue. Bringing in a third language—particularly with Hindi being the default—would be a great disservice to education and an excessive burden on students. This is not desirable at all. Q: The State Council of Educational Research and Training justifies it using the Academic Bank of Credit, claiming that students from Maharashtra board would lag with one less subject. Is that true? Devy: This reasoning is flawed. The core idea of the Academic Bank of Credit is to offer maximum flexibility in learning, not to create competition. In today's world, with increasing migration, people often move from one place to another. The Academic Bank of Credit is helpful in such scenarios, as it allows academic credits to be transferred as students relocate. It also acts as a storage system for academic credits. If a student decides to pause his/her education and return later, his/her previously earned credits remain valid and can be redeemed. This enables lifelong learning without having to start from scratch. Its primary goal is to accommodate a mobile population and offer flexible educational pathways. Q: Although the third language policy is currently on hold, its earlier introduction sparked debates over regional identity, turning the issue into a political controversy. What are your views? Devy: India is a union of states, each with its own linguistic identity. Marathi is the language of Maharashtra, so it is valid to ask: if we do not preserve Marathi here, where else will it be preserved? Already, with the increasing emphasis on English, a large number of schools teach in English, and most students—even Marathi-speaking ones—are unable to read or write Marathi fluently. Every state has a special responsibility to safeguard its language. Naturally, language education in schools becomes a point of debate around regional identity. The covert imposition of Hindi as a 'default' third language undermines this identity and risks reducing the space available for regional languages in education. Q: With a committee now established under Dr Narendra Jadhav to review the three-language formula, what recommendations would you suggest? Devy: I strongly suggest that the decision as to which language or languages should be taught in primary schools best be left to the district education officer, rather than having just one single uniform policy for the entire state. In Maharashtra, every district has a different linguistic composition, since Marathi has a large number of distinct regional varieties, and since the state shares borders with states speaking various languages—Kannada, Konkani, Telugu, Gujarati, Hindi and Gondi. Given this situation, no single policy will be able to do full justice to the entire state. Let the new committee recommend empowering the district authorities. They normally have sufficient competence to decide on the matter. When it comes to language policy in India, with its vast linguistic diversity, I do not subscribe to a single national or single state policy. Language diversity needs to reflect in policy diversity as well.
The Hindu
24-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Linguist calls for cultural unity among speakers of Dravidian languages
Linguist Ganesh Devy has called for cultural unity among Dravidian languages. 'We should all realise that no language is our enemy. Tamil or any other South Indian language is not the enemy of Kannada,' he said in Dharwad on June 22. 'There is no point in harbouring hostility towards speakers of Tamil or any other southern language, or vice versa. Our real opposition should be directed towards Hindi imposition,' he said after inaugurating a symposium 'The Identity of the Kannada Language organised by the Karnatak Vidyavardhakh Sangha. Prof. Devy emphasised the need for unity among the Dravidian language-speaking States of the south to launch a collective resistance against Hindi imposition. He said that population growth in south Indian States is declining, while the population in Hindi-speaking northern States is increasing. Delimitation (reallocation of Lok Sabha constituencies) based on population in the future is likely to reduce the number of constituencies in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Kerala, and an increase in the north. As a result, southern States could have reduced representation in Central politics, he warned. He said that southern States must stop quarrelling among themselves and recognise this emerging political marginalisation. 'We must understand northern Indian politics, and coexist peacefully. Why fight between languages? Earlier, the British followed a divide-and-rule policy. What's happening now is similar. People speaking Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Marathi are being divided and ruled. This must end immediately,' he said. Veteran writer Sangamesh Savadattimath said a controversial statement by a so-called scholar about the origin of Kannada language had awakened the pride of Kannada speakers, likening them to a sleeping lion that has now risen as a roaring tiger. He noted that occasional provocative remarks by certain Tamil and Marathi chauvinists continue to stir Kannada pride. However, once the response comes out, those voices fall silent. 'It is unfortunate that regardless of which government is in power, the struggle to preserve Kannada continues,' he said. KVS president Chandrakant Bellad released Bhashe-Buduku, a book edited by Santosh Hanagal, the presence of KVS general secretary Shankar Halagatti, Dhanvant Hajavagal, Veeranna Waddin, and Sanjiv Kulkarni.
