While I was studying at a school in Punjab, a classmate of mine said that she did not know Punjabi. Everyone standing with her was shocked, as it was really very strange that being born and brought up in Punjab, she couldn’t speak her mother tongue. Though people coming to Punjab from other states may face the language problem, as they usually converse in their own mother tongue or use Hindi to talk to local people but I personally feel that being from Punjab one should definitely know Punjabi. This is applicable not only to one state but to all the other states in India. At the same time, we all should be fluent in Hindi as it is one of the official languages of India. We are recognized by the language we speak and so should be proud of this.
A Mother tongue (or first language is a language which makes us feel comfortable and keeps us at ease. You can express your profound emotions correctly by speaking and communicating in your own language. But today’s young generation is leaving all these behind and that is why some of them are getting off track. Without knowing the consequences, there is a mass imitation to follow Western culture. Though Western culture or any other culture for that matter is not bad, but at least we should differentiate between right and wrong for ourselves and for our society and keep the one which is right. Converse in English wherever required, as there are no constraints on your learning, growth and prosperity but try not to neglect your own identity.
Real values of any culture can only be conserved if there is a respect for mother tongue and heritage. Once these values are conserved, we will be more close to our traditions and this will keep us away from committing worldly sins. Moreover all the scripts and religious books are written in local languages which show us right path to live life. If we won’t be able to read these then how is it possible to apply a single saying?
No doubt that world is shrinking and communication technology is removing the gap at global level. So there is a dire need to learn different languages to compete globally. Like people going to Japan for a job or any other non English speaking country, they need to learn a different language. But in spite of all these, one should always respect and know their mother tongue. India is a multilingual land where every region and state has its own language. Loving your mother tongue does not mean disrespecting others. On the other hand we should respect every language of our country to avoid racism and promote unity.
So respecting mother tongue can unite the nation that is the need of the day. Even if you are living far from your home it will keep you connected with your birth place or native land. Hence, one should never feel shy while speaking their mother tongue as it is a matter of pride.
