Urvashi Butalia, Manu S Pillai, K. R. Meera, Ashutosh Potdar moderated by R Sivapriya
The novelist K R Meera, publisher and translator Urvashi Butalia, Marathi playwright and poet Ashutosh Potdar and the historian Manu S Pillai adorned the dias of the session, Is English becoming an Indian Language, moderated by R Sivapriya.
The role of English in the lives of Indians today is inevitable. English is considered as a global language which connects each and every part of the world. Taking this into account the language cannot be neglected. Translations came as a rescue to overcome the difficulties of language boundaries, opined the panellists.
Ashutosh Potdar stated that the dreams in Marathi and everything that he does involves his mother tongue. This was the reason for him writing in his native language.
KR Meera began her talk in stating that she prefers to look after her own child rather than Queen Victoria's child. Malayalam gained its classical status after a lot of struggle and so, writing in any other language would be a betrayal to the language itself. There cannot be any equivalent to express the emotions like your mother tongue. Portraying this emotions in words in any other language wouldn’t do justice, added Meera.
Agreeing with KR Meera, Manu S Pillai commented that English is important growing up in the current fast a fast moving society. Dealing with multiple languages has eventually made English the first language. Language evolves and changes over time with many exchanges from other languages as well.
“For Dalits, English is a weapon to fight for their rights and needs,” stated Urvashi Bhutalia.
A translator sets the writer and his work free from the boundaries of one language. Due to translations, a work gains two sets of readers, opined the panel. The discussion concluded on the note that, India being a land of multiple languages, no language can claim superiority over the other and the uniqueness of each of the language needs to be preserved and respected.