The Crossbill News Desk
At a public event in Nagpur on Sunday (November 30), RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat voiced strong concern over the diminishing use of Indian languages, warning that the loss of linguistic roots has reached an alarming stage.
His remarks came during a book release programme, where he urged society to reflect on how mother tongues are being sidelined in daily life and cultural exchange, news agency PTI reported.
“There was a time when entire communication, sharing, daily business was in Sanskrit. Now, some American professor teaches us Sanskrit, when in reality we should have been teaching it to the world. Many children today do not know some very basic and simple words and often speak at home in a mix of their mother tongue and English,” he said.
“The situation has reached a point where some Bharatiya people do not know our own Indian languages,” the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief said.
Bhagwat clarified that the prevalence of English-medium education is not the core issue; rather, the reluctance to speak Indian languages within households has deepened the problem.
“If we speak our language properly in our home, things would be better. But we do not do it,” he said.
He added that even religious leaders are increasingly communicating in English, a shift he acknowledged as understandable but reflective of broader linguistic drift.
Invoking Sant Dnyaneshwar, Bhagwat said the saint rendered the Bhagavad Gita into Marathi to make its teachings accessible. He argued that English often lacks the vocabulary to capture Indian philosophical depth.
“Now the problem is that there are not enough words in the English language that capture the essence and depth of the thoughts or concepts expressed in our languages. A single word used by Dnyaneshwar often requires multiple English words without fully conveying the intended meaning,” he said.
Pointing to the mythological Kalpavruksha, he asked, “How will you translate Kalpavruksha in English?” emphasising the cultural weight embedded in Indian languages and the limitations of translation.
Bhagwat also addressed the philosophical foundations of Indian thought, highlighting its emphasis on unity.
“Where there is faith, we all are an expression of the one,” he said, recounting an anecdote of a seer who told foreign visitors that the debate over one God or many was unnecessary as long as the divine is acknowledged.
He said Indian traditions encourage people to look beyond personal concerns towards the larger welfare of families and communities.
“This has been told to people in different words and different formats,” he noted.
Touching on interpretations of the Bhagavad Gita, Bhagwat said discussions that pit knowledge against action miss the larger message.
“Like a bird cannot fly without wings, we need two wings – knowledge and karma – and the bird itself is your faith. Knowledge without faith is like (demon king) Ravana,” he added.
His remarks came during a book release programme, where he urged society to reflect on how mother tongues are being sidelined in daily life and cultural exchange, news agency PTI reported.
“There was a time when entire communication, sharing, daily business was in Sanskrit. Now, some American professor teaches us Sanskrit, when in reality we should have been teaching it to the world. Many children today do not know some very basic and simple words and often speak at home in a mix of their mother tongue and English,” he said.
“The situation has reached a point where some Bharatiya people do not know our own Indian languages,” the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief said.
Bhagwat clarified that the prevalence of English-medium education is not the core issue; rather, the reluctance to speak Indian languages within households has deepened the problem.
“If we speak our language properly in our home, things would be better. But we do not do it,” he said.
He added that even religious leaders are increasingly communicating in English, a shift he acknowledged as understandable but reflective of broader linguistic drift.
Invoking Sant Dnyaneshwar, Bhagwat said the saint rendered the Bhagavad Gita into Marathi to make its teachings accessible. He argued that English often lacks the vocabulary to capture Indian philosophical depth.
“Now the problem is that there are not enough words in the English language that capture the essence and depth of the thoughts or concepts expressed in our languages. A single word used by Dnyaneshwar often requires multiple English words without fully conveying the intended meaning,” he said.
Pointing to the mythological Kalpavruksha, he asked, “How will you translate Kalpavruksha in English?” emphasising the cultural weight embedded in Indian languages and the limitations of translation.
Bhagwat also addressed the philosophical foundations of Indian thought, highlighting its emphasis on unity.
“Where there is faith, we all are an expression of the one,” he said, recounting an anecdote of a seer who told foreign visitors that the debate over one God or many was unnecessary as long as the divine is acknowledged.
He said Indian traditions encourage people to look beyond personal concerns towards the larger welfare of families and communities.
“This has been told to people in different words and different formats,” he noted.
Touching on interpretations of the Bhagavad Gita, Bhagwat said discussions that pit knowledge against action miss the larger message.
“Like a bird cannot fly without wings, we need two wings – knowledge and karma – and the bird itself is your faith. Knowledge without faith is like (demon king) Ravana,” he added.
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