My home state, like many other states in India, has a policy of promoting the state language Tamil. While such a policy in itself is not harmful, instead praiseworthy to the extent it nurtures the intended language, it does leave unintended consequences.
If the policy of encouragement to Tamil morphs into discouraging the learning of English (or other languages), it would be harmful to the future economic development of the people.
This logic needs no further proof than the economic development through the IT industry in the southern states, which had stressed on the learning of English vis-a-vis other states which abhorred English till a few years back.
However laudable an intention is, the implementation of such policies need to be balanced with the future prospects of the people. Witness the fact that:
In a charge sheet filed on the 2G Spectrum allotment scam, the CBI has downgraded the status of Mrs. Dayalu Karunanidhi, a 60% shareholder of Kalaignar TV from co-conspirator to a mere witness, based partly on the fact that she does not know any language other than Tamil.
:-P
Well, the charge sheet was filed only on 6th of May, and hence Osama Bin Laden could not have adopted a similar argument to the Seal Team on 2nd of May.
Different matter whether this guy would have been in a mood to listen to OBL’s explanation. (Picture courtesy, Navy Seals)
Wonder why the same investigation agency did not downgrade the now dead and gone lunatic of Lanka, Velupillai Prabhakaran of the LTTE as a witness in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case instead charging him as an accused?
Reportedly Prabhakaran too wasn’t fluent in any other language except Tamil, and Sri Lanka Tamil, at that.
Apart, isn’t there a legal principle ‘Ignorantia juris non excusat’ which means that Ignorance of Law is not an excuse from prosecution.
Wonder how it slipped the attention of both the Central Bureau of Investigation and the highest court of the land who is monitoring the investigation!
If the policy of encouragement to Tamil morphs into discouraging the learning of English (or other languages), it would be harmful to the future economic development of the people.
This logic needs no further proof than the economic development through the IT industry in the southern states, which had stressed on the learning of English vis-a-vis other states which abhorred English till a few years back.
However laudable an intention is, the implementation of such policies need to be balanced with the future prospects of the people. Witness the fact that:
- 17 scholars of Tamil who received awards from the President of India were left high and dry at the Delhi Airport, due to the Air India Pilots strike. While the report does not clarify what exactly they faced, to me it appears one of inability to understand or speak in Hindi (English?).
- Some years back, the Govt. of Tamil Nadu had announced annual Thirukkural recitation competition for the students with a winner’s stipend of Rs. 1000/- p.m. (~ $25). Reports state that the stipend is not being paid out, due to paucity of funds. Hardly a week back the same government could manage to scrape enough to award the winners of the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup Rs. 3 Crores (~ $675,000) and the TN player Rs. 1 Crore (~ $225,000).
In a charge sheet filed on the 2G Spectrum allotment scam, the CBI has downgraded the status of Mrs. Dayalu Karunanidhi, a 60% shareholder of Kalaignar TV from co-conspirator to a mere witness, based partly on the fact that she does not know any language other than Tamil.
:-P
Well, the charge sheet was filed only on 6th of May, and hence Osama Bin Laden could not have adopted a similar argument to the Seal Team on 2nd of May.
Different matter whether this guy would have been in a mood to listen to OBL’s explanation. (Picture courtesy, Navy Seals)
Wonder why the same investigation agency did not downgrade the now dead and gone lunatic of Lanka, Velupillai Prabhakaran of the LTTE as a witness in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case instead charging him as an accused?
Reportedly Prabhakaran too wasn’t fluent in any other language except Tamil, and Sri Lanka Tamil, at that.
Apart, isn’t there a legal principle ‘Ignorantia juris non excusat’ which means that Ignorance of Law is not an excuse from prosecution.
Wonder how it slipped the attention of both the Central Bureau of Investigation and the highest court of the land who is monitoring the investigation!
No comments:
Post a Comment