TEDxMumbai - Ganesh Devy - 04/03/10

Summary

The speaker highlights the vital role of language in human existence, emphasizing its unique ability to externalize thoughts and create complex ideas, unlike other species. Language is portrayed as essential to human evolution, shaping consciousness and worldviews. The speaker also discusses the impact of colonization on language, the historical suppression of local languages, and the social injustices arising from linguistic dominance. Finally, the importance of preserving linguistic diversity in a democratic society is stressed, warning against the erasure of languages and the knowledge they carry.

Takeaways

• 🗣️ Language is central to human existence, distinguishing us from other species with its complexity and ability to externalize thoughts.
• 🐝 While animals like bees and dogs have basic communication systems, human language is unique in its capacity to express past, present, and future, creating entire worlds through words.
• 🧠 Language allows humans to conceptualize and describe things that aren't physically present, forming a continuous image of existence through words.
• 🌍 Every language represents a unique worldview, even if it consists of only a few hundred words, as language is a symbolic system that can express vast ideas.
• 🏛️ The idea of one original language, like the Tower of Babel story, is not scientifically valid. Languages develop in different landscapes and cultures.
• 📜 Languages do not naturally die; they are killed by domination, suppression, or when speakers are forced to adopt other languages, as seen in the history of Latin and colonial languages.
• 📚 Oral traditions and languages are often marginalized in favor of written ones, leading to the loss of cultural knowledge and identity.
• 📉 The reduction of languages officially recognized in India—from 1,652 in 1961 to 108 today—has caused the erasure of many linguistic communities and their cultural heritages.
• 🗣️ Imposing a dominant language on speakers of smaller languages causes 'linguistic aphasia,' cutting off people from their native tongue and cultural identity.
• 🌐 The suppression of linguistic diversity weakens democracy by erasing the diverse voices and worldviews that language represents, which is essential for true democratic representation.

Q & A

What is considered the most crucial difference between humans and other animal species, according to the speaker?

The speaker considers language as the most crucial difference between humans and other animal species, as it allows humans to externalize thoughts and communicate in ways that no other species can.

How do human languages differ from the communication systems of other species?

While some animals, such as bees, dogs, and certain fish, have forms of communication, human languages can convey much larger and more complex meanings, allowing humans to discuss the past, future, and create new worlds through words.

Why does the speaker say that language was a necessity for human evolution?

The speaker argues that language was essential for human evolution because it allowed humans to communicate not only about the present but also about the past and future, enabling the creation of complex societies and cultural developments.

What does the speaker mean by saying that language is a 'complete worldview'?

The speaker means that every language, even those with a small vocabulary, is capable of describing and covering the entire world, offering a unique way to experience and interpret reality.

What is the speaker's critique of the historical view that languages originate from a single source?

The speaker critiques the idea of a single original language, as propagated by the Tower of Babel myth, arguing that languages developed independently in different landscapes, influenced by factors like climate and environment.

Why does the speaker believe that languages do not 'die' naturally but are 'killed'?

The speaker believes that languages are killed when their speakers are dominated or suppressed, citing historical examples like Latin's decline after the fall of the Roman Empire. Languages are lost through social and political pressures rather than natural processes.

What significant change occurred in the 1971 census regarding the recognition of languages in India?

In the 1971 census, it was decided that only languages spoken by more than 10,000 people would be officially listed, reducing the number of recognized languages from 1652 to 108, and effectively making many languages 'invisible' in terms of official recognition and support.

How does the speaker describe the impact of not teaching children in their mother tongue?

The speaker warns that not teaching children in their mother tongue can lead to a condition akin to 'aphasia,' where children lose their ability to express themselves effectively, as their linguistic connection to their home language is severed.

What is the speaker's view on the dominance of a few languages in India?

The speaker is critical of the dominance of a few languages, noting that 96% of Indians now speak only 4% of the country's languages. This shift, according to the speaker, represents a great social injustice and loss of linguistic diversity.

What message does the speaker convey through the story of Madhu and the dying language?

The story of Madhu emphasizes the value of linguistic diversity and the tragic loss that occurs when a language dies. The speaker uses the story to highlight the importance of preserving languages, as each one represents a unique worldview and a part of human history.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ The Unique Human Power of Language

This paragraph explores the profound role of language in defining human existence. Unlike animals with basic communication systems, humans possess a highly complex linguistic capability. This allows us to externalize thoughts and communicate about past, present, and future events. Language is not only a tool for communication but a necessity in human evolution, enabling the creation of worlds and experiences through words. The paragraph emphasizes that language is the foundation of human consciousness, enabling us to understand and describe things beyond direct experience. Every language, regardless of size or vocabulary, offers a complete worldview.

05:02

📜 The Evolution of Languages and Power

The paragraph discusses how languages evolve and the historical impact of power dynamics on language. The fall of the Roman Empire and the collapse of Latin, replaced by local vernaculars, is used as an example. It also highlights how European colonialism, especially through British influence in India, shaped the understanding and growth of local languages. Initially driven by a desire to communicate, the British introduced linguistic and knowledge systems, but this eventually led to the dominance of English. Over time, English became associated with power and knowledge, overshadowing oral traditions and leading to changes in Indian society and education.

10:03

🔢 Language Suppression in Modern India

This paragraph discusses the decline of linguistic diversity in post-independence India. The 1961 census recorded 1,652 mother tongues, but by 1971, only 108 were officially recognized. Languages spoken by fewer than 10,000 people were excluded from official lists, erasing the visibility and support for many languages. The paragraph emphasizes that when education is not offered in a child's mother tongue, it leads to cultural and intellectual suppression, equated to 'aphasia,' where communication fails. The result is a significant reduction in linguistic citizenship, with only a small percentage of Indians speaking the majority of languages, leading to a form of monolingual dominance.

15:33

🌍 The Importance of Preserving Linguistic Diversity

This final paragraph underscores the importance of preserving linguistic diversity to maintain true democracy and respect for diversity. It tells a story of how the loss of a language leads to the loss of historical memory and knowledge. The story of the 'Bow tribe' illustrates this, where the last speaker of a language passed away, taking with her 65,000 years of cultural history. The paragraph argues that democracies are becoming dictatorial, and if leaders only speak a few languages, they cannot truly represent the diverse aspirations of the people. The story concludes with a symbolic message: 'Every language is a unique worldview. Do not kill it.'

Keywords

💡Language

Language is described as a crucial element of human existence that distinguishes humans from other animals. It allows us to communicate complex ideas, not just about the present but also about the past and future. In the video, the speaker emphasizes that language is not just a tool for communication but also a means to externalize thoughts and shape reality.

💡Symbolism

Symbolism refers to the idea that language is a symbolic system, where words are symbols that represent broader meanings. The speaker argues that even languages with few words can express an entire worldview. This highlights the power of language to convey more than just quantitative information, making it a key part of human consciousness.

💡Worldview

A worldview is the way in which language shapes and defines one's understanding of the world. The speaker suggests that every language, regardless of its size or complexity, represents a unique way of seeing and interpreting the world. This concept is central to the idea that no two languages are exactly alike, and each offers its own perspective.

💡Mother tongue

Mother tongue refers to the first language learned by a child at home, which is tied to cultural identity and personal expression. The speaker highlights the importance of education in the mother tongue, arguing that depriving children of learning in their native language leads to a form of 'aphasia,' or loss of the ability to express themselves.

💡Aphasia

Aphasia is a medical condition where one loses the ability to communicate, either due to brain damage or speech organ issues. In the video, aphasia is used metaphorically to describe the forced imposition of a foreign language on children, which the speaker equates to 'cutting the tongue' of their native language and depriving them of true self-expression.

💡Diversity

Diversity refers to the variety of languages and cultures in the world, which the speaker argues should be preserved. The video stresses that democracy should respect and protect linguistic diversity, as it reflects the pluralism and inclusivity essential for a true democratic society.

💡Colonialism

Colonialism is discussed in the context of how British colonial rule imposed English as a dominant language in India, undermining local languages and cultures. The speaker explains that while some knowledge was shared, the imposition of English as a 'language of command' led to the marginalization of native languages and cultural heritage.

💡Oral tradition

Oral tradition refers to the passing down of knowledge, stories, and culture through spoken word rather than written texts. The speaker emphasizes that many Indian traditions, such as the Mahabharata, are oral, showing that written language is not the only way to preserve knowledge. Oral traditions have been devalued by colonial influence and the focus on written language.

💡Language death

Language death occurs when a language is no longer spoken by any living people. The speaker asserts that languages do not naturally 'die,' but are often killed by external forces such as domination or suppression. An example is provided of a woman speaking to a sparrow because she is the last speaker of her language, illustrating the emotional and cultural loss that comes with language death.

💡Linguistic injustice

Linguistic injustice refers to the marginalization and suppression of certain languages and their speakers. The speaker argues that by reducing the number of officially recognized languages in India, many languages and their speakers are rendered invisible, leading to a loss of cultural identity and educational opportunities. This is framed as a form of social and cultural oppression.

Highlights

Language is a crucial distinction between humans and other species, enabling complex communication.

Humans can externalize thoughts and speak about the past, future, and distant places, unlike other animals.

Language allows humans to create new worlds and invent situations through words.

All languages, even those with limited vocabulary, offer complete worldviews, making them symbolic systems capable of expressing vast meanings.

Different environments shape different languages; there is no single 'original' language.

Languages do not die naturally; they are often killed due to dominance and suppression by other languages.

Colonial history imposed a language hierarchy, favoring written over oral traditions, thus diminishing many native languages.

In India's 1961 census, 1,652 mother tongues were listed, but post-1971, the official recognition of languages dropped to 108, excluding many languages from state support.

The lack of educational resources in native languages imposes linguistic aphasia, where children are denied the ability to learn in their mother tongue.

96% of Indians now speak only 4% of the languages, while 4% speak 96% of the languages, reflecting a drastic reduction in linguistic diversity.

The death of a language, like the Bow tribe language, results in the loss of historical memory and cultural knowledge.

The idea of democracy is compromised when linguistic diversity is ignored or suppressed.

Modern democracies risk becoming dictatorial when they fail to embrace the linguistic and cultural diversity of their populations.

The fictional story of Madhu symbolizes how native cultures and languages are swallowed by industrial and colonial powers.

Every language is a unique worldview, and preserving linguistic diversity is essential for true democracy.

Transcripts

I'm going to speak about something which

is of very essence of to human existence

and that is language

if one thinks of one major the most

crucial difference between other animal

species and human beings it is language

it is true that bees have their

languages these have a kind of language

it is true that dogs do understand and

remember about 100 words it is true that

certain species of fish do have a

communication system which is fairly

world but the human communication system

can take in such large and complex

amount of significance that it is quite

amazing we are capable of externalizing

our thoughts like no other animal

species can do that we speak is not just

a matter of God's gift or an accident it

was a necessity in the evolution for us

to evolve this kind of communication

system in through which we can talk not

just about what is present but also

about what is the past and what is yet

to come

we can talk about distant things any

other animals can talk about only what

is present and what is within a short

span of memory but humans can invent

situations through words they can

actually create a new world through the

language that they have so if we do not

have language we are no human and I'm

not talking of languages but the general

language capability it is the word

through which we invent the world the

human consciousness works in a very

peculiar way we have of course the

experience of texture of the world of

things we have some experiences and we

do name them but there are things which

we do not directly experience nor we can

touch them nor we

can see them one can talk about apples

in Kashmir or snow in Switzerland

without being in Kashmir or in

Switzerland it is through the word that

the consciousness tries to grapple with

the external reality what one can what

one calls the phenomenal world and it is

through that that the consciousness

forms an image a continuous image of our

existence if we did not have the word we

would not have the world therefore every

language any language just any language

it's not just a French Spanish Russian

Italian and English any language is a

complete worldview even if that language

has only 300 words it can describe the

entire world it can cover the entire

world this is a scientific view because

a language is a symbolic system and

symbolism has the capability of

enveloping a lot more than the mere

quantitative measure of this symbol

through very few words you can express

everything but through very few words

you can experience practically

everything every language is a unique

world view two languages do not have

similar color terms in Marathi where

were called camisa those who are Marathi

speakers perhaps might our there's no

word for that in English the English

brought to us through the colonial

experience an idea of how languages grow

how they develop and at the basis of

that at the back of that idea was that

there is an original one language and

out of that one language many languages

come that there is the Tower of Babel

through which man could you know speak

with the divine and at one time the

tower collapses and many languages

languages through which man just cannot

speak to the divine that comes up this

is a peculiar historiography an idea of

genesis of language which is not

scientifically valid languages develop

differently in different landscapes

people in the desert people in these

snowy areas people near the oceans they

of different languages the climate's

contribute to that and therefore not one

original language similarly very often

we think that languages are like human

beings that they're born and therefore

they will die that is a logical fallacy

a language does not die a language does

not die a language can only be killed

languages die as we understand the word

die because sometimes they are over over

structured they die if the speakers of

that language try to dominate other

people if you remember the history of

the Roman Empire that's precisely what

happened the Empire collapse the Latin

disappeared and what the Latin people

used to call vernaculars they took over

and that's the that's the seed of the of

the modern European history when the

Europeans came to us they contributed

many good things in the field of

knowledge but they tried to talk about

our past and build a historiography for

us they tried to draw maps for us in

from their perspective of cartography

they they put together many takes and

scholars like Sir William Jones produced

produce a wonderful community of

scholars in said together a wonderful

community of scholars in Calcutta the

Asiatic Society

it was initially the quest to understand

initially when the British came to

Bombay and in surah prior to that they

used to hire Armenian interpreters they

wanted to communicate with people here

they wanted they wanted that some kind

of dialogue be established but the quest

to understand India the quest to

understand the Orient in general the

quest for establishing a dialogue slowly

changed

Nathaniel holla'd produced the first

grammar of Bengali and that was out of

genuine under

interest to understand how the Bengali

works but slowly the the command of

language became the language of command

slowly we here started believing that we

have to know the English language if we

have to have knowledge to some extent

that was right but we push this demand a

bit too far

people like Raja Ram Raja Ram Andhra

actually went to London and said they're

asking for teaching through English

Macaulay responded even if elphinston in

Bombay was saying that there are schools

in Marathi and Gujarati and good schools

the language became the language of

command it became a conquest and when a

language achieves this kind of conquest

then the mindset changes and one feels

that what that language has alone is

truth and therefore our oral traditions

started undergoing many changes in the

East India Company had set up the first

printing office in st. fort Williams and

they started printing languages like

Hindi Marathi though accidentally a

printing machine had landed in Goa but

used only for a short time for printing

kannada language and so we started

accepting the idea that what is oral is

a taboo and what is written has a

Protima call you as a matter of fact

many of our knowledge traditions where

oral knowledge traditions we speak in

the name of the Mahabharata and so on a

karamaneh genius to say that everybody

in India knows the Mahabharat because

nobody reads it it is oral and we all

know it so knowledge has no relationship

with writing as a matter of fact very

few languages in the world have their

own scripts and yet they can be major

languages English has no script of its

own it is still using the Roman script

but it is not way one cannot say it is

an underdeveloped language as time pass

and we came to the post-independence

period we decided that only the

languages that were printed should have

a political authority and therefore we

decided to set up linguistic states in

this country this is a unique feature of

Indian state that we have linguistic

states because we had inherited the

philosophy of nationalism here from the

European countries and once we set up

the linguistic States we had a big gap

law to how to count our languages in the

1961 census as I had asked that question

does anybody know how many languages in

1961 census the Census soared 1652

mother tongues 1652 mother tongues

claimed by the people in this country in

71 as the census was getting ready in

the next door there was a war on the

language issue Bangladesh became as in a

separate country and after 71 these the

figures of census we're not revealed it

was decided that only those languages

which are spoken by more than 10,000

alone will be listed and the list of

1971 census was 108 languages and the

hundred and 9th was all other languages

so from 1650 two languages we had

reduced the official number of languages

in this country 208 that's roughly

killing at least making honour

officially making them languages without

any citizenship almost 1400 of those and

speakers of those languages are made

invisible generations in this country

because if the language is not included

in the age schedule if it is not listed

in the census then no state machinery

can support education in that language

primary schools colleges universities

are just not possible no funding is

available for that just day before a

study the Prime Minister has said there

is right to education for everybody but

mind you it is not right to education

through the mother tongue

and when you do not teach a child the

language that the child learns at home

then what you impose on that child is

called in the Greek language aphasia

that's almost if I were Anupam Kher I

would put my tongue out and show it

clipped you cutting the tongue of the

child is the mother tongue and aphasia

of course is when the when the

communication between you know between

the brain and the speech organ fails

when the either there is something wrong

in the motor system or with the speech

organs you're not able to speak but it

is not aphasia of this kind we are

imposing as a nation aphasia on speakers

of almost 1400 languages that's the

sentence it's a I mean it's ironic that

I'm using that word sentence we are

taking away the sentence and that's a

punishment and what we are encouraging

is a kind of monolingual cacophony you

will be shocked to know that today 96%

of Indian speak 4% of languages and 4%

of Indian speak 96% of languages this

was not the situation 50 years back the

number has has gone down at the 1961

census we have 46% Indians speaking

those languages so we have reduced 42%

of Indian population from linguistic

citizens in this country to no

citizenship pattern and we are

encouraging the rule of only a few

languages I am NOT against those

languages I respect all languages alike

but there is a great social injustice

involved in it and there is a great rape

of knowledge involved in it a linguist a

linguist a friend of mine said to me

that one day she saw a woman and the old

woman was talking to a sparrow so in the

under man's so this silicon watabe the

linguist asked her why why are you

talking to sparrow the old woman said I

am the only speaker alive of my lang

and if I do not speak - nobody else

understands if I do not speak to this

Sparrow what will happen to my language

this bow the woman from bow tribe both

the senior she died on the 26th January

on the Republic Day this year and with

her death in history of 65 thousand

years of that language has gone and gone

with that is the knowledge and the

memory historical memory that language

held and this is the fate of so many

other languages in the country we are

pushing those languages to that fate

democracies all over the world are

becoming dictatorial we don't have to I

do not have to state it I come from

Gujarat many of you visited the United

States everywhere democracies are

becoming the tutorial through democratic

apparatus and in a country like India if

we have people who rule us who speak

only one or two languages will they be

able to reflect the aspirations of the

people truly will they be able to

reflect the world views of the people

truly if a democracy means respect for

diversity

then how can democracy exist by killing

diversity therefore we have to learn to

listen to silence I am rather sad in

saying this our century 21st century

action of voices all over the world so

while we think that we are getting

connected we are actually ready gating

this was we have to listen to this I'll

the Bombay party this a little story I

want to tell I will go back to the tiger

presentation it was from the core Co

area this story is written by mahadeva

the bangla writer you know perhaps that

the bomb that the surah thrower aligned

was led by the british by taking away

the core KU forest when the forest was

taken away very bad poor quality of land

was given to the tribals they could not

cultivate it and therefore they

therefore the yield say he started no

coming down generation after generation

they became victims of hunger starvation

by starvation death the government of

mirage appointed a committee and said

what can we do it is a genetic disease

called sickle-cell here that is the real

situation the story begins here and that

is the the maja Davis story the stories

like this when the cork ooze knew that

they are going to die they decided to

die a death of dignity and therefore

they made a special heart and when a

person was to die the person was to go

there and wait for death somebody had

Jennifer had heard that cuckoos are

dying the Geneva scientists had heard

that there is a liquid which can be

injected in the body and somehow these

people can be saved and so on so the

fellow came he injected this liquid in

the body of the last survivor whose name

was Maha do this Madhu Boyd was injected

that the scientists went away to his

conference in Geneva to report on you

know water findings Madhu is waiting in

the heart waiting for his death and he

he hears at a distance the whistle of a

train is the Calcutta is the horas or

train and suddenly his historical memory

stirred he feels the fragrance of the

the timber that the British had chopped

from the area so he decides to jump jump

onto the train and the Train brings

somehow to Bombay in Bombay hadoo sees a

very strange sight a strange thing which

she had not seen for a long time he sees

food in Bombay and he starts eating and

he eats everything he eats in the food

available in Bombay he eats the boot

building he eats the Raja by a tower he

eats the new building being built by

somebody called Mukesh Ambani and

because of that that fluid injected in

his body Madhu grows tall in stature and

his head touches almost this almost

touches the sky then Madhu's thirsty so

he bends down and he drinks the arabian

sea and then rises again lifts his arms

and plucks the stars in the sky and

starts writing in the sky the history of

mankind again and the first sentence in

that histories every language is a

unique world view do not kill it

how tolerance let diversity live then

alone democracies can be democracies

particularly in a country like India

thank you ladies and gentlemen