Written by - Shalini Bishi
"LANGUAGE SHAPES THE WAY WE THINK, AND DETERMINES WHAT WE CAN THINK ABOUT."
This statement beautifully explains that language is a powerful tool to express our feelings whether it's care, anger, love, or any emotion and serves as a primary medium of communication.
However, I would like to offer a contrasting perspective: language is not the only medium of communication. For instance, a newborn baby cannot speak any language, and yet they manage to communicate. Similarly, a mute or non-verbal person may face limitations with spoken language, but we still understand them through gestures, facial expressions, and symbols. These, too, function like a language.
When we talk about language, the first question that arises is: "What is language?"
Is it merely a medium of communication? Or is it more like a boundary similar to a border between two countries that prevents mutual understanding?
So, is language a barrier?
Are we sometimes "lost in translation"? Or can language serve to "bridge cultures"?
As I said earlier, I believe language is not just a medium of communication it's a way of expressing love, fear, anger, and every other human emotion. But why do I make this statement?
Let’s explore this with the following example under the title:
"SPEAKING FROM THE HEART: A TOOL FOR SELF-EXPRESSION"
Consider a newborn baby. The baby doesn't know any language, yet tries to express feelings through crying, movement, or facial expressions. And remarkably, the mother understands whether the baby is hungry, sleepy, or uncomfortable. There's no linguistic barrier between them, only emotional connection. So from this we can say that
"UNDERSTANDING IS NOT ABOUT THE WORDS, BUT THE EMOTION BEHIND THEM."
Language or emotion is not only limited to humans; it also affects animals. We can understand their feelings, and they understand ours. There is no language between us, but we are still able to understand. So, can we say from the above two examples that language is a barrier?
No, according to me, it's not a barrier; it is only a bridge that connects people and their cultures.
We have clearly and beautifully stated above that language is not a barrier or a ground for discrimination. Then why does Article 15 of the Indian Constitution provide protection from discrimination on the grounds of language? It's like:
LANGUAGE AND LAW: THE INDIAN EXPERIENCE
Article 15 does not directly use the word "language," but we can interpret it through the phrase "place of birth." India consists of 28 states, 8 Union Territories, and 121 languages. Also, 270 mother tongues exist in India, and Part VIII of the Indian Constitution provides for 22 official languages. Every state has its own language, and on the basis of language, some states are named.
For example:
From the language Odia, the state of Odisha was formed.
Tamil Nadu has its Tamil language.
Every state has more than one mother tongue.
For example:
Odisha – People of Eastern Odisha speak Odia, and people of Western Odisha speak the Koshli language or Sambalpuri language.
Just like that, half of the population of Karnataka speaks Kannada, and some people speak Telugu, but the official language is Kannada.
Language changes just like culture changes from person to person, but the emotions are the same. But Article 15 and 16 of the Indian Constitution were added because there have been cases and places where people were discriminated against on the basis of their language.
Is language a part of our culture? If we accept each other’s cultures like we celebrate the festivals of Muslims, Hindus, and Christians then why can't we respect each other's languages?
TONGUE AND TRADITION
This "2T" concept connects two cultures. From the language, we can easily know from which place a person comes it’s easy to identify. And as we know, India is a country of "UNITY IN DIVERSITY" all cultures are different. We have a rich culture, and language is a part of our culture.
If we discriminate on the basis of language, then is this justice to India's identity?
No. Why do we think that if the language is different, we cannot relate to or understand each other? It's just a medium and nothing else. And in this discrimination, we forget that we have a common language that is the language of humanity and feeling for India.
So, we can conclude that:
"LANGUAGE IS NOT WHAT YOU SAY, BUT HOW YOU MAKE THEM FEEL."
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