The Power of Common Man's Language: " Hindi ".'
Some of my face book friends, on occasion of " Hindi Day" has recently written about their memoires of yester-years Hindi Day celebrations with Photographs--in PDIL, Sindri.
I liked the post, as I respected the language and widely use it in my daily life and Sindri was part of my active professional life. In this connection, a true story , which I encountered with in January 1989, flashed in my memory-lane. I would like to share the story with my FB friends.
The Delhi's famous Lotus Temple, in Nehru Place Area, near to Kalkaji Mandir, New Delhi was commissioned in December 1986. It became a popular tourist spot of Delhi very soon. Though I was living in that area and it was very near to both my house and office in Nehru Place , I could not take time out to visit the temple till January 1989.On a sunny Sunday after-noon, I visited the temple, with my family and spent some time, appreciating the 1 Million Pound Sterling prized architectural beauty , open green landscape, meditation hall surrounded by seven small ponds to keep it naturally cool in summers , etc . I was very happy and satisfied and wanted to express my feelings. So I chose to write down it on the visitor's book, lying on one of the temple-gates. I wrote the following lines in Hindi :
भगवान ओर भक्त एक दूसरे के प्रिय ओर पूरक हैं।भक्त जो भी, जैसे भी, जिस भाषा में या बिना बोले जो भी कहता , बोलता और सोचता है,ईश्वर सुनता,समझता ओर उचित उत्तर देता है। इनके बीच में किसी विशेष पूजा-विधि,मध्यस्त, दलाल या ब्रोकर का क्या काम।ईश्वर दयालु है।
Soon after I finished my notes I was about to leave the place quickly, as my children were getting bored and pressing me for a quick exit. Till then everything was normal. Suddenly out of nowhere a gentleman appeared, who subsequently introduced himself as PRO of the temple, and asked me to come out of the line and wait for some time. I was alarmed, as those days the security situation in Delhi was apprehensive because of attack on and death of ex-PM Indira Gandhi. I was now in a fix. He took me to his big plush office, which was one level lower than the main hall and near to one of the ponds. To my utter surprise, he told me that he was waiting for me for last about 2 years. I could not understand the situation, being a part of common public. He declared that as per the classifications of Govt. of India and Delhi Government, Delhi was a Hindi speaking area and the temple management prepared a lot of publicity materials in Hindi Language. Since, whoever and everybody who visited the temple and opted to write on the visitor's Book wrote only in English language, I was the first person , who wrote and expressed in common man's language: Hindi. So, I was the guest and therefore the felicitation. I could not believe.He gave me in gift many books, pamphlets, CDs--all in Hindi.
It was the special, honorable and proud moment for me and my family, as a Hindi speaking one. I wrote this blog purposely in English, as my many Hindi speaking co-breathers should like to have a look about the power of languages of masses : Hindi.