What is language?

Language and the Paradox of Linguistic Diversity in India

Language is a vehicle of human culture. It is a living organism, constantly evolving and accommodating coinages from sister languages. The mother tongue holds a unique place, standing as a witness to the passage of time, while other languages serve as windows through which we perceive the world.

In India, we have been burdened by the paradox of language. English, in particular, has become a segregating force. Surprisingly, a rickshaw driver is considered literate if he can read and write in any language mentioned in constitution but that wouldn't help him getting done his insurance paperwork, he will have to consult someone who is proficient in English, leading to a disparity in opportunities. While linguistic diversity enriches Indian culture, it can also foster linguistic elitism and create an inferiority gap.

If a person speaks something, he has certain pictures in his mind related to the words he is speaking. The listener also has pictures related to those words. But the images in the speaker's mind may differ from the images in the listener's mind. It means the meaning of the same word is different for different people. We can conclude that everyone has a distinct language of their own because the visuals in everyone's head are different. However, we have common images regards almost all of the things that makes it easy to communicate. 

In conclusion, language serves as a remarkable tool to comprehend human thought processes, yet the more we explore its intricacies, the more we encounter confusion. Embracing linguistic diversity can enhance our understanding of one another while fostering a harmonious coexistence.

Aashi Gupta

(Language puzzles me more than space.)

What keeps our values alive ?

 Have you ever wondered why we have  "M G road" in almost every city in our country?

 why do we have so many statues and symbols of great personalities?

 why do we remember them?

what picture comes to our minds when we say Mahatma Gandhi Road?

When I think of Mahatma Gandhi Marg, the picture that comes to my mind is where Gandhiji is walking on the way with his stick. This MG Marg reminds me of the importance of walking which is good from both fitness and environmental perspective. Walking was a prominent part of Gandhi's life. 

When I say Bhagat Singh Square, my soul is immediately filled with courage and confidence. when I say Braj Vihar colony, I imagine a place where everybody is living peacefully. All this happens at a very subconscious level. we don't pay attention to these in our daily lives but these names keep our values alive. It gives us a message to inculcate their attributes in our lives.

This small effort has a big impact on our society. It inspires us to learn something from their lives.

History offers us lessons and some mysteries that may never be revealed.

So instead of discussing past people, let's discuss their ideas, their work, their impacts, and how they did it.

let the mysteries be in their place, grab the learnings, and impart them in our actions.

Because it is ideas that rule the world, not the leaders. Think 

-Aashi Gupta