The new education policy (NEP)
2020 has surprisingly removed Mandarin from the foreign language option and
won’t be available for students anymore. One can understand the current border
stand-off between China and India which precipitated such action. May be
Confucius institute around the world teaching Mandarin under cloud but omitting
Mandarin from the foreign language list in India is certainly a over reaction.
I am sure closing the door all of
a sudden on Mandarin is not a futuristic decision. Mandarin is also one of the
UN language and spoke by more than 150 crore people. It is not a small number.
Language always provide us an insight to the peoples thinking, its culture and
deep sensibilities as a communication medium directly one to one rather than
getting it translated. Translation loses the soul out of it.
We cannot redraw the boundary with China and we
will remain a neighbor either as friends, enemy or none, it actually should depends on people
choices in both countries and knowing and communicating in same language has its own distinct
advantage in making such choices and more community to community familiarity
also influences decision at the highest level.
One of the things both countries lacks is the
understanding and exposure of one’s culture and language becomes the best
medium to develop such an interest and understanding between both communities.
By closing it unilaterally will not going to help us however it will further
cut off both community and will deteriorate the relations further. Back to the
silos.
China and India relations dates back to more than
2500 years and once the culture of China were very much influenced by India.
India used to attract Chinese scholars in past for higher studies at Nalanda.
China was manufacturing power house during ancient time also and lot of agriculture implements used to be imported form China. Printing was invented in
China and the first print was of the Buddhist scriptures.
The NEP is silent on spreading Hindi to other
countries and more importantly to China. There is growing mistrust between both governments and also there is absolutely very little understanding about both communities.
We don’t know much about their culture, way of life and other social customs
and so do they. They are more cut off and very little knowledge about our
social life, culture etc due to obvious reasons.
Even a well-read Chinese in bigger cities knows
little about India. There is no Indian channel except black market of pirated
Hindi movie and music CDs. The rural area is bit better in terms of watching
Indian channel on TVs in absence off such city-wide blanket.
Older generation of China above 70 or so have some
idea about the life in India and ancient relationship between both nation and
they call India as 'Indu' and some time talk about Buddha and Nalanda and
intellectual ability of Indians. In recent years substantial interest shown by Chinese
people in bollywood music and films. When I used to visit rural China then it
was easily noticed that Zee music was quite popular with Chinese community.
But slowly in cities I see a sudden spurt in Korean music and movies in China
and also Korean foods. I guess it was some mechanism to offer Chinese people
distraction from their interest in Bollywood and it worked well.
We know little about Chinese rural and city life,
food habits, farming, their social and family life, education system,health system,
administration etc. so do they. Kolkata is important city for them, may be its
link with long communist rule and a quite large number of Chinese people thinks
that Kolkata is India’s capital. So is the level of information in other areas.
They cannot believe that a large community practices vegetarianism in
India, it is unthinkable for them that a vegetarian society exists. The Chinese
food in India has no resemblance with the real Chinese food in China.
But in all exist a very strong bond which has not been explored, the family
life in China since ancient time is very similar to family life in India.
Family means everything for them. Chinese people undying love for Fengsui and
astrology is similar to love of Vaastu and graha-nakshatra by Indians.
The perception between both countries is made by little information, mis
information, cooked information, propaganda etc which suits persons in the
power. This will not allow communities of India and China to develop,
communicate, learn, share and build relationship on similarities. And
ultimately benefits few people in power to control the destiny of both countries
as per their wish.
The removal of Mandarin will be a big blow towards this.
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