Jaipur, Jan 31 (PTI) Acknowledging that English is necessary for survival in today’s world, particularly in the IT sector, screenwriter-lyricist Javed Akhtar on Friday said learning the language should not come at the expense of knowing your mother tongue.
“If you don’t know your mother tongue, you’re cutting off your roots,” Akhtar said at a session during the ongoing Jaipur Literature Festival where he launched his book “Gyan Seepiyan: Pearls of Wisdom”. By abandoning their native languages, children risk losing their connection to their culture and traditions, Akhtar stressed.
“Language is not just a means of communication; it’s the vehicle that carries our culture, tradition, and continuity. If you disconnect a child from their language, you’re disconnecting them from their culture, history, and values,” the 80-year-old argued.
Akhtar said there is widespread emphasis on English-medium education in India today.
“We want to send our children to English schools, even those from lower-middle-class families struggle to afford it. I’m not denying the importance of English, but I believe that learning another language should not come at the cost of one’s own language. This is crucial.” Akhtar pushed for multilingualism, where a person is proficient in English while staying rooted in their native language.
“We cannot survive without English in today’s world, especially in the IT sector. But I want to see our children become multilingual, knowing their own language as well as others. It’s essential to know one’s mother tongue. When we abandon it, we lose our connection to our roots,” he said.
At the session, Akhtar was joined by engineer-turned-philanthropist and author Sudha Murty and filmmaker Atul Tiwari.
The 18th edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival will run till February 3. PTI COR RB MIN MIN
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