Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #IndianLanguages
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A #thread about some #myths of #languages and #scripts (of #India): 🧵(I wrote in Kannada earlier)
Every language including #Sanskrit comes in spoken form first & later in written form. Most languages are dated by the earliest time when a written record for them is found. 1/17
Every language including #Sanskrit comes in spoken form first & later in written form. Most languages are dated by the earliest time when a written record for them is found. 1/17
#Samskrta can be considered an exception, where we have record of the spoken word before we see its written form. This is because the #Vedas were preserved in a speech form for millennia before being written down. In case of other languages, this is not so. 2/17
For ex: First written record of #Kannada date to 2-3rd C CE. But this does not prove Kannada did'nt exist prior to 2nd CE. It is better to inferwriting was introduced/adapted to Kannada then. In fact we see how the script used to write Prakrit in as adapted to write Kannada 3/17
How do programmers in other countries learn to program using their own language? I get the pushback that “API documentation” is all in English.
This is due to the #EnglishBubble Indians live in.
API documentation is available in all major languages.
Visual C++ in Chinese:
This is due to the #EnglishBubble Indians live in.
API documentation is available in all major languages.
Visual C++ in Chinese:
In Polish.
It’s available in tens of languages but #IndianLanguages are de-prioritized.
MNCs adapt. They localize to each country.
They don’t localize to India because Indians in the English-speaking bubble tell them there is no need.
MNCs adapt. They localize to each country.
They don’t localize to India because Indians in the English-speaking bubble tell them there is no need.
This is why I had coined the term #EnglishApartheid for the Indian State's policies towards #IndianLanguages that turns native language speakers into 3rd class citizens unable to even plead their case.
Unfortunately not much has changed.
Unfortunately not much has changed.
"F**k you" said politely still means the same thing.
I don't care for politeness. I care for the problem to be fixed.
I don't care for politeness. I care for the problem to be fixed.
Don't blame the ministers. There is only one man (and his bureaucrats) who are making all the decisions. No one else is allowed to.
To remove “traces of colonization that still exist in India” @narendramodi would need to disband the IAS and the judiciary.
They are more than “traces.” They are fully colonial.
But yeah changing a flag design is easier, makes good news item.
They are more than “traces.” They are fully colonial.
But yeah changing a flag design is easier, makes good news item.
Absolutely. To the extent that they refuse to do interviews/GDs for officer selection only in English. No Indian language allowed
Jawans are recruited using Indian languages.
Two tier colonial class structure is built in.
Jawans are recruited using Indian languages.
Two tier colonial class structure is built in.
CCP understands importance of narrative and psychological conditioning.
Today in India, go to any mall, major educational institution, you will find the hegemony of English and Roman Script. This conditions people's minds to accept its supremacy and inevitability. China gets it.
Today in India, go to any mall, major educational institution, you will find the hegemony of English and Roman Script. This conditions people's minds to accept its supremacy and inevitability. China gets it.
It will soon be the only super power and the #1 economy. Only the foolish will not learn from what it is doing right.
The myths about English held by Indians are so hilarious that I had to write a book on it.
Less than 5% of the world speaks English natively and less than 13% overall, even as a 2nd language.
But Indians think 75% of the world speaks English! 😆
Less than 5% of the world speaks English natively and less than 13% overall, even as a 2nd language.
But Indians think 75% of the world speaks English! 😆
As only 145 days left to celebrate 75th anniversary of Indian Independence and I am starting an an initiative of #Dekhoapnadesh with #philately on the ocassion of #AzadiKaAmritMahotsav
DAY 1
"Rashtrapati Bhawan,New Delhi- Official Residence of President of India #indianstamps
DAY 1
"Rashtrapati Bhawan,New Delhi- Official Residence of President of India #indianstamps
#DekhoApnaDesh (see the India) with #philately to celebrate #AzadiKaAmritMahotsav
Day 2 : Kayang - A folk dance from Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh,India #indianstamps #indianphilately
Day 2 : Kayang - A folk dance from Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh,India #indianstamps #indianphilately
Day 3 :Darjeeling Himalayan Railway or"Toy train" runs between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling in West Bengal which is one of the iconic mountain railways of India and in 1999,it was declared as UNESCO world heritage site
#DekhoApnaDesh with #philately #AzadiKaAmritMahotsav
#DekhoApnaDesh with #philately #AzadiKaAmritMahotsav
“Your kids” may grow up speaking English at home, have an environment to learn.
Most of these children won’t. They will sit uncomprehending in class, not understand math or language, won’t be in any position to compete with China.
How to destroy talent and civilization #101.
Most of these children won’t. They will sit uncomprehending in class, not understand math or language, won’t be in any position to compete with China.
How to destroy talent and civilization #101.
This is what will happen with this children @harshmadhusudan.
It is a formula to destroy the country and civilization. No major country has succeeded by converting the entire population to a foreign language. India won’t either.
It is a formula to destroy the country and civilization. No major country has succeeded by converting the entire population to a foreign language. India won’t either.
The little bits of English they pick up won’t let them think or speak fluently. Those who win Nobel Prizes learn in primary in their mother tongue.
Of course, if Indians” highest aim is to be (bad) coolies, this may work. Till chatbots written by Chinese programmers replace them
Of course, if Indians” highest aim is to be (bad) coolies, this may work. Till chatbots written by Chinese programmers replace them
Imagine an Indian education system geared to transmission of knowledge and natural apprenticeship-based learning.
This is an adaptation to State's #EnglishApartheid, where a child cannot learn to be a doctor in their language and serve their village.
This is an adaptation to State's #EnglishApartheid, where a child cannot learn to be a doctor in their language and serve their village.
I've been fighting for this for years, but the ones in power have turned a deaf year. Change can happen but the govt is itself obsessed with English. Even the #NEP has no focus on professional education in #IndianLanguages.
Instead what does our system do? It tell the child he or she cannot be a doctor using #IndianLanguages. To be a doctor one must go to medical school, which is only in English. One must spend lakhs and get "certified." And after that the doctor must charge lakhs to recover that.
A Hindi newspaper editor told me those who use erudite Sanskrit words in writing are derided as "ponga pandit." #IndianLanguages were infantilized, mainly due to being removed from higher ed. Even the PM pushes Hinglish.
Meanwhile, difficult words in English are "high culture."
Meanwhile, difficult words in English are "high culture."
Yes. In a Kingdom of Dreams show in Gurugram, the villains are blue-skinned and speak Hindi, the heroes are English-speaking and dressed in Western clothes. The script-writer is Christian. Media pushes these stereotypes.
I know @ShashiTharoor's tweet was in jest. But the point remain. In India's #EnglishApartheid, speaking difficult English is considered learned and erudite, while speaking learned Hindi or other #IndianLanguages is stuffy, obtuse and "backward."
#coronavirus: As India eases restrictions on activities this is the time to reiterate that WEARING MASKS NOW IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER. More important than when #lockdown was first imposed on 25 March. Because number of active infected persons (dashed line below) is highest. 1/
As long as active infected persons persist in population - and herd immunity or vaccine induced immunity has not been achieved - chances of spreading pandemic is proportional to number of active infected persons, if containment is inadequate. WEARING MASKS PREVENTS SPREAD. 2/
Number of daily new infections is still rising. We are tracking #CoronavirusIndia at @cessi_iiserkol. When observed numbers (blue bars below) fall below our model assessment (red curve) we would know the pandemic is subsiding in #India (but resurgence is possible). 3/
All countries serious about their languages have commissions for creating new words with regular updates.
In India, word creation was itself made into a joke.
Train would be लोह पथ आमनी गमनी यंत्र (with a laugh)
Aim was to kill native language growth with wholesale import. 1/
In India, word creation was itself made into a joke.
Train would be लोह पथ आमनी गमनी यंत्र (with a laugh)
Aim was to kill native language growth with wholesale import. 1/
If you look at signs even in small town India today, say UP, even those in devanagari script are largely English words. This is not how other countries did it.
For e.g. when I was in China, no one understood "bus" "train" ATM" or even "internet." They had their own words. 2/
For e.g. when I was in China, no one understood "bus" "train" ATM" or even "internet." They had their own words. 2/
I started looking at Thai language because Thailand is one country which was never colonized and has a language closely based on Sanskrit. It was part of Indic civilizations. Do they also have a wholesale import. What word do they have for train?
train รถไฟ Rt̄hfị रथभी (?)
3/
train รถไฟ Rt̄hfị रथभी (?)
3/
I have been asking for cross-country data on India's "English advantage" even in IT, but have yet to see anyone come up with it.
Perhaps this table will conclusively establish this "advantage."
Rank by country of programmers in different areas.
Perhaps this table will conclusively establish this "advantage."
Rank by country of programmers in different areas.
All these countries study programming and algorithms using their mother tongues. Almost none of these use English-medium.
houseofbots.com/news-detail/11…
houseofbots.com/news-detail/11…
Silicon Valley is not the world. And if India's "English advantage" is so great, where is the Silicon Valley and trillion $ market cap IT companies from India?
Imagine if you took per capita population numbers, how much further back India would be.
Imagine if you took per capita population numbers, how much further back India would be.
More I read #NEP, more it appears like an utter disaster.
It has practically no move forward for #IndianLanguages, no earmarked resources, no clear plan.
But it has entire sections on "SEDG" including "minorities" to have the entire system serve that. #NaiManzil on steroids.
It has practically no move forward for #IndianLanguages, no earmarked resources, no clear plan.
But it has entire sections on "SEDG" including "minorities" to have the entire system serve that. #NaiManzil on steroids.
Absolutely. It offers homilies to "Indian culture" but the details are geared around identity-based SJW "social disadvantage."
BJP is unique. It's far left of the West's "Left" in policies, yet gets itself branded "RW." Worst of both worlds. 😏
BJP is unique. It's far left of the West's "Left" in policies, yet gets itself branded "RW." Worst of both worlds. 😏
It has #indianLanguages in gana bajana, music and arts, poetry and literature, the stereotypical areas they've been relegated to. But when it comes to engineering or medicine or management, there is no mention of it. So #EnglishApartheid is preserved in high-paying professions.
Without end-to-end thinking it will fail @rahuldewan.
To revive #IndianLanguages need to tackle entire structure of discrimination and #EnglishApartheid created by the government—competitive exams, courts, IIT, IIMs, AIIMS, job interviews, patents, not just primary education. 1/
To revive #IndianLanguages need to tackle entire structure of discrimination and #EnglishApartheid created by the government—competitive exams, courts, IIT, IIMs, AIIMS, job interviews, patents, not just primary education. 1/
All of my language advocacy has been about increasing choice. Today the govt of India *forces* English, gives no choice at Supreme Court, most High Courts, most govt services, income tax, GST, national institutes. All are English. Increasing choice here will create demand lower.
Problem with *forcing* #IndianLanguages in primary is parents will rebel, there will be an outrage, courts will weigh in. I also oppose it because I feel that govt should have much less regulation of education (why I oppose RTE) than more.
Govt needs to work on demand-side.
Govt needs to work on demand-side.
Just did an interview of a student who did her BCA (Bachelor of Computer Applications) from a govt college in Gurgaon. It is a sad reflection of how the Indian State has actively worked to destroy Indian talent & education.
3 years of college—and she never learnt to program. 1/
3 years of college—and she never learnt to program. 1/
I asked her what projects she did, what code she wrote. The answer was "nothing." She said the teacher just taught "theory", they did not get students to code; actual coding was not required for any class.
So programming was a taught from a book, evaluated by paper "exams." 2/
So programming was a taught from a book, evaluated by paper "exams." 2/
So she could recite what a Database was but could not write SQL. She had never worked on an actual database. To her credit, she was able to write a little bit of C++. But she had actually never written any useful program in her entire 3 years of "computer" education. 3/
The part we missed in the can of Chinese apps. Chinese developers learn software development in Chinese medium. Have apps used throughout the world and games like Pub G.
Unlike India with "English advantage" which has taken over the world in apps, in AI, in tech. Isn't it?
Unlike India with "English advantage" which has taken over the world in apps, in AI, in tech. Isn't it?
"English advantage" is the biggest hoax perpetrated on India. There is no evidence of India gaining any big advantage due to English but overwhelming evidence that children learn best in their mother tongue—India's English obsession holds India behind.
grpr.in/emm
grpr.in/emm
The Chinese don't program in the Chinese language. Why are people so confused? Learning a programming language is different from learning to program using English medium.
There is a mythology that the Western Civilization has created about itself, a product of its specific history.
This mythos traces its story from the Greeks (from where Science, Math, Philosophy, Rhetoric, emanate) to the Romans, to the "Dark Ages" to "Enlightenment."
1/n
This mythos traces its story from the Greeks (from where Science, Math, Philosophy, Rhetoric, emanate) to the Romans, to the "Dark Ages" to "Enlightenment."
1/n
Add to it "feminism", modernism, post-modernism, and such.
In this mythos, the West is the center of the world, of innovation, of progress. Others are at best a supporting role, a side act. Ancient Egypt , a little math from Arabs (who only "preserved" Greek text).
2/n
In this mythos, the West is the center of the world, of innovation, of progress. Others are at best a supporting role, a side act. Ancient Egypt , a little math from Arabs (who only "preserved" Greek text).
2/n
Ancient Egypt, because of how it figures in Judeo-Christianity, Arabs only as they now discover "Orientalism." But Arabs were relegated to "preserving" Greeks and Egyptians.
Never mind that Arabs got a lot of their learning from China and India. And China from India.
3/n
Never mind that Arabs got a lot of their learning from China and India. And China from India.
3/n
My Itinerary for the next 3 weeks.
BLR-DEL-BOM-Kuala Lumpur-Sydney-Tasmania-Fiji-Tonga-New Zealand-Seattle
Friends, Tweeple en route do say hi.
BLR-DEL-BOM-Kuala Lumpur-Sydney-Tasmania-Fiji-Tonga-New Zealand-Seattle
Friends, Tweeple en route do say hi.
Currently in BLR. Leaving tonight for DEL. Will be in DEL Feb 4-6. Mumbai 7-10. Potentially can come to Pune in Feb 8 if a talk is arranged.
Will be in Sydney Feb 12 and then Feb 15.
In discussion with IIT Bombay as a result of the activism for a big machine translation enabled project.
Govts of major Asian countries invested billions in their languages for tech. Indian languages are great, they're not the problem. It is the slavery of the mind. Like yours.
Govts of major Asian countries invested billions in their languages for tech. Indian languages are great, they're not the problem. It is the slavery of the mind. Like yours.
The problem of upgrading Indian languages can be solved within 10 years with the @narendramodi govt investing Rs. 10,000 Crore with a focused approach to enable all higher and professional education in all major #IndianLanguages. This is peanuts in civilizational terms.
@narendramodi Language is infrastructure for the mind, it needs to be treated as infrastructure for development with massive investment. This is how China and Japan did it. @BSKoshyari
Meanwhile we are looking for 2 crores to jump start the IIT Bombay initiative.
Meanwhile we are looking for 2 crores to jump start the IIT Bombay initiative.
Disagree with you @ChamuKShastry ji. The State is the biggest culprit in killing Indian languages. Even now @myogiadityanath has turned 5000 schools to English medium.
Language always depends on State support. India is deliberately killing Sanskrit and #IndianLanguages.
Language always depends on State support. India is deliberately killing Sanskrit and #IndianLanguages.
When you look at when Sanskrit flourished in India, when Persian flourished, when English became dominant, this is ALL due to State policies. @narendramodi
The Indian Govt has decided to kill off Indian languages, which is the same as killing Indian culture and civilization.
The Indian Govt has decided to kill off Indian languages, which is the same as killing Indian culture and civilization.
The RSS samskara has been, to not rely on the State, work on the Samaj. This is misplaced in the case of languages. What is the point of getting to power without turning around the destructive policies of the colonial state?
The biggest education reform would be ito allow medical education in Indian languages. Has this been fixed? Otherwise it’s window-dressing. Japan leads in Nobel Prizes in medicine, studying in Japanese. Why can’t Indians study in #IndianLanguages?
@amitabhk87 @narendramodi
@amitabhk87 @narendramodi
The slavery is so deep that they start gasping for breath at the idea of providing an OPTION for students to study in their own languages. OMG, the sky will fall if some people prefer not to study in English-medium. 😌
English excludes millions of people and decreases their skillset. They evualuate the Japanese, not based on their far superior medical technology, but for not exhibiting the same degree of slavery as they possess. 😏 How many Nobel prizes from India?
A language is imposed when it is (1) not the mother tongue and (2) it is made the medium of education and (3) there’s no other option.
The only language that is imposed in India is English. It is forced in Higher Education, in IIT, IIM, AIIMS, High Courts... with no choice.
The only language that is imposed in India is English. It is forced in Higher Education, in IIT, IIM, AIIMS, High Courts... with no choice.
A language added is not an imposition. Additional languages on signs etc provide more inclusive access.
Unless Hindi is becoming the primary medium it is no threat. Languages are destroyed when the medium changes. English is destroying languages as it become primary *medium*.
Unless Hindi is becoming the primary medium it is no threat. Languages are destroyed when the medium changes. English is destroying languages as it become primary *medium*.
Often those who scream #HindiImposition don’t care for their own languages.
They deface signs with Hindi as an additional access language but do no work for Higher Ed or Courts in their language.
They exploit sentiment for local language for their aim of English supremacy.
They deface signs with Hindi as an additional access language but do no work for Higher Ed or Courts in their language.
They exploit sentiment for local language for their aim of English supremacy.
China is spreading Mandarin.
India is spreading English and "proud" of it.
That's the difference. Can't create pride till Higher and Professional education is made available in #IndianLanguages.
India is spreading English and "proud" of it.
That's the difference. Can't create pride till Higher and Professional education is made available in #IndianLanguages.
Easy. Govt should just start an IIT in each state using the State language. Same for AIIMS, IIM etc. Give an option to Indian language learners. Will transform society. @narendramodi
Create a common tech vocabulary using Sanskrit. Details in my book.
Create a common tech vocabulary using Sanskrit. Details in my book.
China is using Mandarin to align Nepal to its culture and project power. India’s slavery to English projects neither power nor culture. The Chinese laugh at us.
@narendramodi
@narendramodi
Japan was ahead because the Japanese translated Science & Tech into Japanese.
The Chinese lagged because they relied on English translators. Now have *massive* investment in using Chinese for Science.
India’s #EnglishApartheid kills advancement in Science and Tech.
The Chinese lagged because they relied on English translators. Now have *massive* investment in using Chinese for Science.
India’s #EnglishApartheid kills advancement in Science and Tech.
This is how committed the Chinese are to translation and how they are getting to good. India's #EnglishApartheid literally cripples minds.
It needs a massive commitment of resources from the top. @narendramodi govt and BJP have shown no such commitment, rather pushing #EnglishApartheid deeper, literally killing India's talent & brains.
