== WHY IS MOTHER TONGUE PART OF 16 POINTS ==
Namaskar,
In our AM ideology and in our 16 Points, Baba has given importance to
and placed emphasis on all that is needed for the well-being and
development of humanity. As we all know, one of the four tenets of
C.S.D.K. (Pt #16 of 16 Pts) is 'seminar'; and one of the sub-points of
'seminar' is knowledge of one's mother tongue. Obviously then, knowing &
using one's mother tongue is an integral element for building a proper
society. The only question then is what is the logic and reasoning
behind this.
LANGUAGES OF THE WORLD
Before getting started, we should recognise that in today's world there
are more than 7000 living languages in use on this earth. And they all
carry certain unique qualities, traditions, and specialties; yet, at
present-- with the rapid-fire proceess of globalisation and all its
mono-culture leanings-- many of these languages are threatened for their
very survival.
Thus we should take a proper look at what the grand, variety of
languages bring to the humanity as well as why Baba places such a great
significance on knowing and using one's mother tongue.
METHOD OF EXPLOITATION
One of the main reasons that certain mother tongue's are taken 'out of
circulation' is because one so-called higher culture wants to dominate
another so-called lower culture. And one of the best ways to break down
another culture is to render their mother tongue as valueless or rogue
etc. Because then those innocent persons are forced to give up or
abandon their mother tongue and instead learn the language of that
exploitive group. This invariably creates a huge inferiority complex in
the minds of those who have lost their mother tongue. Because-- out of
nowhere-- they now have to learn a new language and function with that
new linguistic tool-- ie. the language of the exploiters, which is not
at all comfortable for them.
Those in this present era who grew-up speaking English have not an iota
idea of what it means to have to live in a society where one's mother
tongue is not respected or accepted. It creates a huge shock to one's
psyche and places one at an extreme disadvantage in every social setting
imaginable from one's work opportunities to one's schooling ventures.
And by that way one can be easily put down, manipulated, and ultimately
exploited.
That is what happened to the black slaves that were brought to the US;
that is what happened to many of the North Africans that relocated to
southern Europe; that is what happened to the Eskimos in Alaska as well
as the native people in so many lands from Australia to Indonesia. Plus
this was also the case with the aborigines of Central America. In all
these instances a certain group lost their local language due to the
pressures placed on them by a more dominant group. And by that way, the
weaker group just got exploited, pushed to the fringe, and used as a
menial labor force in that society. This is what commonly happens to
those who lose their mother tongue.
So here the point is that to give every human being the proper right of
passage and due respect, it is highly important that all languages be
honored. That means in their family life people should not be looked
down upon for what language they speak. And every person should have the
opportunity to do their primary schooling in their mother tongue as well
as get the opportunity to learn the vishva bha'sa (world language) of
the day.
Without that there will always be one or more segments of the population
that are exploited.
THE SOURCE OF SO MUCH KNOWLEDGE
One other crucial aspect of keeping all the languages of the world
'alive' is that a language serves as the abode of knowledge of a
particular people or community. What people learn about the world and
human understanding gets incorporated into their language. That is why
each and every language-- everyone's mother tongue-- carries with it
unique knowledge of the world.
Just as the Inuit (Eskimo) language has all the perfect phrases for
describing snow, so many languages carry unique insights about the
world. Because the thing is, much of what people know is not written
down-- especially in those cultures versed in the oral tradition-- in
which case their language is literally an encyclopedia of knowledge. It
may contain important facts about what leaves are medicinal in value or
what the role of certain bugs is or how the moon moves across the sky in
the summer season. So much information and knowledge is contained in the
various languages of the world.
For example, imagine how much knowledge would be lost about yoga,
devotion, and spirituality if the Sanskrit language were to die. And
indeed every language has its own special arena of knowledge.
So keeping languages alive is one very important manner of protecting
humanity's wealth of knowledge.
HOW BABA PRACTICALLY KEEPS ALL LANGUAGES LIVING
In His ideological teachings of Prout and cardinal human values, Baba
always stresses the importance of one's mother tongue. Yet as we know,
AM is not just a theoretical endeavour. Side by side Baba implements the
practical programs to keep languages alive.
One way He did this was by having the Ananda Vaniis read in all the
languages. This was one of His special ways of respecting and honouring
all languages.
And another special measure He adopted was to always ensure all Wts
remembered and gave value to their mother tongue. This is a unique
point. Because, Wts were basically supposed to forget everything about
their former worldly life from their parents to their habits etc, but on
the point of their mother tongue Baba was very keen that even Wts must
remember their mother tongue.
MOTHER TONGUE: LANGUAGE OF THE HEART
One of the reasons for this is that each and every person's mother
tongue is the language of their heart. It is by this way that people
express their finer sentiments and feelings in the form of oral history,
poetry, songs, drama, etc.
Thus one's mother tongue is a key point of human expression.
SUMMARY
So for financial gain or economic power, one community must not be
allowed to exploit another by rendering their mother tongue as
irrelevant. This is commonly done in this present era: Sideline their
language, infuse inferiority complex, and force them to live as second
class citizens etc. But this should not be allowed to continue as it
robs people of their human rights and dignity and it stands as the
death-bed for so much human knowledge and erudition.
All in all this is a vast topic and what is written here is a mere
sprinkling. So others should also come forward and relay their practical
experiences and understanding about this most important issue of one's
mother tongue.
BABA'S BLESSING
By Baba's grace, our AM will bring justice in all realms of life
including the preservation of everyone's mother tongue.
That is why Baba has included 'mother tongue' as one of the aspects of Sixteen Points.
Baba says, "The best means of communicating human expressions is through
one’s mother tongue, as this is most natural. If people’s natural
expression through their mother tongue is suppressed, inferiority
complexes will grow in their minds, encouraging a defeatist mentality
and ultimately leading to psycho-economic exploitation. Thus, no mother
tongue should be suppressed." (PNS-15)
Namaskar,
Mukunda
Note 1: FALSE DISCOVERIES OF RESEARCHERS
Nowadays, many researchers in so-called first-world nations claim to
have discovered new knowledge or invented new ideas etc, when in reality
these things have been known for centuries by various native peoples.
This is the case with so many herbs and remedies in India, China, and
Philippines etc. And indeed all over the world the native populations
have deep insights into the natural world and often times scientists are
merely re-discovering or outrightly stealing knowledge that has been
known for a long time by certain native peoples. And that knowledge was
keep in tact by their language.
Note 2: NOT GIVE WAY TO CULTURAL IMPERIALISM
By preserving and protecting all the languages of the world and keeping
everyone's mother tongue alive, it prevents hegemony of one group over
another. This is perhaps the most important element of this issue.
Baba says, "All languages must be encouraged, but this does not mean
opposing the languages spoken by others. In this context, language in
itself is of secondary importance. Of primary importance is the negative
cultural and socio-economic consequences of linguistic imperialism." (PE)
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Health Guideline
Baba says, "Deafness is not a disease by itself, unless it is
congenital. It is an after-effect or reaction to some other
ailment...Excessive use of quinine or similar poisonous medicines for a
long time reduces the power of hearing." (YT, p.43)
Note: The intake of allopathic medicines contribute significantly to
deafness. One can see this reaction especially in the case of small kids.
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