Hindi hai hamari, Hindi hai hamari jaan, and Hindi hai hamari, Jaan. These are the three ways the title of our blog can be interpreted. Hindi is special. Hindi is unique. Hindi is amongst the five most spoken languages in the whole world. It is indeed unusual. Like most Indian languages, Hindi, too, is Sanskrit-udbhaw, that is, originating from Sanskrit. Yet, unlike other Indian languages, it has a world presence as well so much so that many Hindi words are regulars in the English parlance.
Does that mean Hindi is the lingua franca in India? Well, yes and no! In our sub-continent of a country, with a plethora of languages and dialects, it is difficult for any language to gain that status, especially given the regional pride associated with the Southern languages or the North-eastern dialects.
Yet Hindi does have a guaranteed acceptance as the "rajya bhasha", the state language, so to say. Why, this year celebrates the seventy-fifth anniversary of Hindi being granted that unique status. Many institutions in the public space, be it banks, corporations, government offices conduct their daily business in Hindi. The Home Ministry of India absolutely uses Hindi as the language of the whole of its functioning, asserts the Home Minister.
For most of us, Hindi is the language of Bollywood films, of the entertainment industry itself. As the language of Bollywood films, Hindi is a hugely unifying force across the length and breadth of India. Why, films use not only the "khadi boli" or the 'standard' version of Hindi. They have also made us proficient users as far as our acquaintance with very many dialects of Hindi goes.
Hindi literature is superb as well. One can provide any number of names of authors and titles of texts one has most satisfyingly read, and adored. Hence the need to assert that there is no need to pitch Hindi against Urdu. In fact, Urdu is a version of Hindi. Let me give yet another example. The Dakhani language used in Hyderabad is a mix of Hindi, Urdu, Marathi, Gujarati, and, oh, yes, has literally been nurtured by women across generations.
In other words, as the song goes, "Hindi hai hum/Hindostan hai watan hamara" and "Hindi hai rajya bhasha hamari"!
Pratima@Any number of three-language formula kind of academic attempts have been tried to bond over Hindi. Oh, yes, the national level exams conducted by the Hindi Prasarana Sabha have been for years a surefire technique-n-tool to get in to government jobs. Let Hindi, like all the (m)other tongues, prosper and fructify!
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