Multilingualism is Indias strength: Writers debate single-language idea
BENGALURU: In a compelling panel discussion titled Should a country speak a single language?, Indian literary critic GN Devy and writertranslator Deepa Bhasthi, in conversation with moderator Samanth Subramanian, argued that multilingualism is not just Indias reality but one of its greatest strengths. Drawing on personal experiences, the speakers highlighted the richness of Indias linguistic landscape. One panellist described growing up speaking Kannada, Kodava and Tulu, and later learning Hindi and English through the three-language policy. Knowing multiple languages enriches your inner life, they said, adding that speaking Kannada evokes a different persona than speaking English. Devy spoke about his upbringing with unlicensed versions of Gujarati, Marathi and Hindi, and later learning English, only to encounter dialectal variations in Yorkshire. His work with Adivasi communities exposed him to 12 tribal languagesmany neglected by official policywhich deepened his commitment to preserving non-standard languages. The discussion underscored that Indias multilingual foundationformally recognised with 14 languages by the Constituent Assemblyhas enabled unity despite vast diversity. The first census after linguistic reorganisation recorded 1,652 mother tongues, reflecting the publics strong attachment to their languages. Devy cautioned against monolingual imposition, comparing Indias multilingualism to Gandhis walking stick: inclusive and civil, rather than a tool of domination. Bhasthi emphasised that translation carries more than wordsembedding culture, memory and worldview. She cited a Kannada proverb translated as the distant mountain is smooth, illustrating how cultural meaning is preserved without literalism.
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