Based on our Internet experience, three of us were called for a Hindi seminar conducted at Loyola College, Chennai. It was one of my predictions coming true for myself. Just 10 years back when I was a college student, I used to stare at our special guests and think I should be called to present a seminar few years later AND IT HAPPENED!
Based on our Internet experience, three of us were called for a Hindi seminar conducted at Loyola College, Chennai. It was one of my predictions coming true for myself. Just 10 years back when I was a college student, I used to stare at our special guests and think I should be called to present a seminar few years later AND IT HAPPENED!
Not that I lack confidence, but I hate addressing a group of people. I am damn conscious about myself, and love to stay aloof until and unless people provoke me. I am happy the way I am, and have no idea of becoming an orator.
Two of my colleagues had enough experience addressing people. Both of them had a MBA on their hat, while I am a journalist – who loves to work secretively most of the time ;).
For anonymity sake, I will call them Mr K and Mr P.
Mr P was damn good on the stage. I should say his Hindi was fluent, and he got the audience’s attention in no time. He spoke about the potential Hindi portals holds in the near future, and how it will be useful for people who still use vernacular language for communication.
Mr K had some 10 years experience in public speech, and had been addressing a lot of students for a couple of years. I admire him for his confidence, and also the way he handles people - one Mr Jim Carrey he is. His hilarious intro, and sensible logic gained him all the applause.
Now it was my turn. I am basically from Mumbai, and can’t speak shudh Hindi for God sake. So thought, would talk in Hinglish, and I did succeed in that. I tried keeping my views to myself about what I feel about the future of language portals in India. But could not resist myself. I thought about what my teacher told me – always speak the TRUTH, no matter how bitter it is. And I started to talk my mind out. I asked few basic questions to prove a point that Indian languages will die in the coming days, and there will only be ONE language universally accepted and that could be English.
My questions and the response…
Q1) How many of you have browsed a Hindi portal?
Response – Out of some 200, one raised his hand. And he said he has gone to aajtak.com, which incidentally is not a COMPLETE Hindi site.
Q2) How many of you know to type in Hindi?
Response – None raised their hands. Remember I was addressing a seminar, which was attended by Hindi students, Hindi teachers, and Hindi HODs.
Q3) How many of you will spend money, go to a cyber caf頴o browse Hindi sites?
Response – None raised their hands.
Q4) I was told that Sanskrit is the most adapted language for Computers. How many of you know Sanskrit?
Response – Only 2 out of 200 raised their hands.
Mr P panicked at the way I addressed the seminar, and came to my rescue. In fact the whole crowd was kind of disappointed by my pessimistic approach but then that is what was I felt was the TRUTH. As the world grows, old things fail to exist like which happened to languages like Hebrew, Sanskrit and Greek.
I knew it could be the last time I am called for any seminar. And that prediction came true too. Mr K is busy with other colleges, and Mr P got a call from Stella Mary’s college!