Just Saying

It's not that I have an issue with any particular language being used or any particular language not being used (as long as the language is used correctly and the message is communicated effectively). But some people do make an issue. They make it a question of pride and heritage and culture and … fuck knows what not (faaltu ki nautanki). Certain individuals (if not most) of the BJP led Indian government are part of this saffron brigade trying to be the champions for the Hindi / Sanskrit language. Extremely VOCAL champions.

Remember this:

Home ministry issues circular promoting use of Hindi on social media (19-06-2014).

While one of the circulars, issued on May 27, asked all ministries and departments, PSUs and banks to give preference to Hindi while using English/Hindi to operate official accounts on Twitter, Facebook, Google, Youtube, blogs, etc, another circular announced cash prizes of Rs 2,000, Rs 1,600 and Rs 600 for the three persons who do most of their official work in Hindi.

And now we have:

To Tokyo With Love: PM Modi Tweets in Japanese Ahead of Key Visit (28-08-2014).

A flurry of Japanese tweets this morning raised suspicion that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Twitter account had been hacked. Until he tweeted his thanks to "friends from Japan" who had helped him with the posts.

The tweets reflected the Prime Minister's unusual style of reaching out to Japan ahead of his visit to the country this Saturday, his first major bilateral tour since he took charge in May. The visit is being seen as an attempt by the two democracies to balance the rising weight of China across Asia.

Tum karo tou fashion, hum karen tou pesha?

[Sarcasm] Oh wait… this is perhaps yet another example of his brilliant skill to connect with people. A shining example of his statesmanship. The wonderful diplomat showing us how it should be done. [/Sarcasm].

Modi's Japanese Tweet stunt makes one chuckle when one reads headlines like:

'Teachers' Day' turns into 'Gurutsav' in HRD ministry circular (28-08-2014).

September 5, the birth anniversary of former president Dr S Radhakrishnan, has been always known as Teachers' Day (Or Shikshak Diwas). For the Union ministry of human resources and development (MHRD), it is no longer so. The circular issued for Dr Radhakrishnan's 126th birth anniversary avoids using the term at all and that has led several academicians to say BJP government was slowly "saffronizing education in India". MHRD announced an essay competition in 23 languages for students and termed the event as Gurutsav 2014.

Sigh…

Hota hai, chalta hai… duniya hai.