Language as a Bridge—or a Battlefield?

In today’s India—where WhatsApp forwards can ignite riots and political narratives often prey on linguistic sensitivities—the following story of a Bihar-born girl acing Tamil in a state board exam is more than just heartwarming. It is timely. It is relevant. And, as Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan aptly put it, it is an "eye-opener." On the other hand, as debates over the National Education Policy (NEP) continue to polarize, incidents from Bengaluru and Mumbai forced to speak regional language. 

Dharmendra Pradhan quotes Bihar-born girl topping Tamil exam

In reference to the case of a student from Bihar-origin who topped the Class 10 Tamil exam of the southern state this year, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has said that the incident is an eye-opener for "those who are attempting to create divisions on the basis of language".

Pradhan was addressing a function on Monday to initiate a Bharatiya Bhasha Summer Camp, which is being conducted in government schools this summer to introduce children to the study of Indian languages. He also initiated study material such as primers and special modules in Indian languages. He dedicated the function to D Jiya Kumari, the Bihar student who achieved 93 out of 100 in the Tamil exam of the Tamil Nadu state board.

"We see this in the newspaper now. She was born in Bihar, and her father came to Chennai to make a living 17 years ago. His three daughters have now learned Tamil in school. Jiya Kumari got 93 out of 100 in Tamil and 467 out of 500 in total," Pradhan said.

Pradhan's remark follows a confrontation between the Centre and Tamil Nadu over the refusal of the State to adopt parts of the National Education Policy 2020, such as the three-language policy. The State that adheres to the two-language policy and educates the student in English and Tamil has found the three-language policy to be an effort at imposing Hindi.

Speaking the same language?

Two recent incidents—in Bengaluru and Mumbai—have thrown a harsh spotlight on India's long-simmering language tensions. A State Bank of India (SBI) branch manager in Bengaluru refused to speak Kannada with a customer, insisting on Hindi. In Mumbai’s Ghatkopar area, a customer threatened a shopkeeper with closure if he didn’t learn Marathi within two weeks. Both cases—starkly different in geography and direction—point to a deeper problem: when language becomes a battleground for identity, respect gets lost in translation.

Kannada- https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJ4EdUzzCGg/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link 

Marathi- https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJ6dcyxvTHD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link 

Let’s be clear—language is powerful. It connects people to their culture, their roots, and their communities. But when it becomes a weapon for either asserting dominance or punishing others, we miss the point entirely. A bank manager refusing to speak the local language in a state-run institution isn't just unhelpful—it’s tone-deaf. Public-facing roles in multilingual India should be rooted in empathy and accessibility. It’s not about rejecting Hindi or English; it’s about embracing the language of the people you serve.

On the flip side, threatening a shopkeeper to learn Marathi under duress is equally troubling. Language cannot be forced. Coercion breeds resistance, not integration. It’s one thing to expect local businesses to communicate effectively in regional languages; it’s another to issue ultimatums and threats.

Sashi Tharoor- https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDbfHrQv-DV/?igsh=MXZuaGduYWdvYmZ6aQ== 

Prakash Raj- Instagram 

India is not monolingual. It never has been. With 22 official languages and hundreds of dialects, we are a linguistic mosaic. The only way to hold it together is through mutual respect—not mandates.

Public institutions should lead by example—staff fluent in local languages should be the norm. But individuals must also recognize that language is not a purity test. It’s a tool to connect, not a license to bully.

Let’s not turn our multilingual heritage into a fault line. Language should open doors, not close them.Let us not let regional pride turn into exclusivist. If we are able to let the Bihar girl adopt Tamil open-heartedly, then we are all able to learn each other's language—literally and metaphorically.