English still dominates: Paswan

Minister recalls Ram Manohar Lohia’s insistence on Hindi for the bureaucracy

Ram Vilas Paswan. PTI

Paying tribute to socialist icon Dr Ram Manohar Lohia, who championed the cause of Hindi, on his 50th death anniversary, Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said dominance of English remains intact and the bureaucracy remains essentially anti-Hindi.

Recalling, Dr Lohia famous slogan, Raj-paath hai kiske haath? Angrezi aur Oochni Jaat… Angrez yahan se chale gaye, Angrezi ko bhi jaana hai. Angrezi Main Kaam Na Hoga, Phir se Desh Ghulam Na Hoga..” (Who has the reins of administration? The English and the upper caste! The British left the shores, the English too has to go. There will no work in English; The country won’t be subjugated again), Mr. Paswan said his dream remains unfulfilled.

The Minister said there was no let up in English culture in the bureaucracy. “Every year we organise Hindi week and distribute prizes to those who extensively use Hindi in administrative work. Yet we have not been able to buck the trend of English being the key administrative language,” he said.

In the last few years, the number of English-medium schools has only risen, Mr Paswan said adding, “It is only natural for this, because English has become the language of livelihood.”

“How old is English? It was imposed on us in 1857; within 90-years it took such a deep root that it can’t be uprooted at all,” he added. Hindi continues to be have servile status while English continues to be language of aristocracy.

Tactical alliances

Talking of Dr Lohia’s relevance in today’s politics Mr. Paswan quoted from his book Wheel of History , which explores the details of the power play between the castes. He wrote that power will change hands from upper caste to the more aggressive section of backward classes. He however, had predicted that if this section of backward classes behaves in a similar manner as their upper caste predecessors, then the Dalit will join hands with upper caste to throw them off. “This has happened in recent election of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. That’s the relevance of Dr Lohia,” he said.

Mr Paswan said Dr. Lohia has been suitably appropriated by all parties. Among the current political lot, the Samajwadi Party of Uttar Pradesh, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Janata Dal (U) of Bihar and Janata Dal (S) of Karnataka were all spawned from Dr Lohia’s movement. The BJP has also off late started quoting Dr Lohia and his OBC politics.

“It is like elephant and six blind men. Everyone has been selectively using Dr Lohia to further their political interest,” he said. Lalu Prasad and Mulayam Singh Yadav only talk of Lohia’s secularism but forget his stand against corruption, he said.