Language is for communication and not for oppression

The news out today is that the body that regulates web addresses (ICANN) will now allow web addresses that can be in scripts other than Latin or what we commonly know as English letters. Also out is another news that in Maharashtra it is going to be mandatory for all commercial establishments to put up bold Marathi signage on store fronts.

While the world is beginning to accept that language must be a matter of personal choice and no boundaries must be put on it, here at home we have decided that the only way for our people to achieve regional identity is to curb their use of language.

There can be little doubt that a language spoken by a majority of the region’s population should be used for as much of the official correspondence and in Government offices as possible, but surely all commercial establishments should have the liberty to choose how they project themselves? The whole idea behind storefront signage is to inform customers about the business. So if an establishment felt that it would lose business by not having signage in the local language it would ignore that fact at its peril. If the shopkeeper felt it would improve his business no Government dictate would be needed to put up shop signs in Marathi or any other language that the shop keeper felt necessary.

Unfortunately this drive by MNS and like has very little to do with their love of the language or their concern for the average Marathi speaking person. It is just another tool they are using to stir up a people who are looking to find their place under the sun. Yes, regional identity is one part of the over all identity of a person. But the MNS would do much better to use the resources it has to push its followers to better educate themselves and eradicate such social evils as drinking, gambling and lack of education- all of which are a far greater of cause of poverty and misery than the lack of Marathi signage.