Another instance of language-based discrimination and how we can stop it
What we need to do:
Stop calling our native languages regional languages. Many of these languages that the Indian government considers 'regional' are spoken or/and are official in countries outside India, thus making them 'international' (Bengali, Tamil, Punjabi etc)
Hindi is a 'regional' language too. It's from the Hindi belt. The Hindi belt is a region. Hindi is regional.
Boycott the term 'Hindustani'. It's misleading. We Bengalis, prior to national movement and even during the national movement, never called ourselves Hindustani. It was a term reserved for the North Indian (Hindi speaking) people. Even writers like Tagore and Sarat Chandra used the term that way, did they not consider themselves Indian?
We are Indians, Bharatiya (Bharotiyo), not Hindustani. Hind is not Hindustan. Bharat is not Hindustan. We don't need to love Hindi to be Indian. What's the point of independence and democracy if I need to lose my culture and language to another, just to call myself Indian. Wake up people... It's high time.
জয় বাংলা, জয় হিন্দ। 🇮🇳
