All Talk and No Action

To be fair, I personally feel newspapers should publish pieces contrary to their general opinion, as a healthy debate is always encouraging. Knowing TOI, I don't think they believe in such grand ideas, but surely a pecuniary interest is at play.
So why promote such ideas? Well, Aravind Adiga is not a firebrand leader, at least not yet. A respectable, Booker prize winner, hitherto man of the classes. Get him to write something like this, you instigate a nice old debate on the sons of the soil. Its proven it sells, so why not use it? I have a feeling pretty soon we are going to have a riposte from another prominent intellectual, and that war of words will sell.
Abhirup

And he himself writes in English. He should write in Kannada, no?

I have read the book long back n now i read the article.. that man got a responsibilty towrds society being a man booker winner n just coz of that ppl will read wtever non-sense he write ot talk..
i really wonder hw he wrote the book, that too in english if he was soo much in love with kannada, he just like any other religon/caste based politician who is trying to create another partician of india through communlism..

I guess he is just looking for a plot for his next book.. :P

I guess its our responsibility to filter out things to be read.. just because someone gets booker doesnt mean he/she is an intellectual class or unbiased or logically perfect or could be mass shaker.. His book was a great read.. but he didnt write that as intellectual class.. These newspapers want to en-cash his name..let them do it.. TOI in general is busy in doing the same.. this is their niche business standing and gives them proper holding to circulate their newspaper to get enough money back.. ;-)

Everyone has a right in live in anyplace in India and retain their culture and language...Fundamental right!
Seems strange this coming from an intellectual!...or is he not one!

@Abhirup - I too feel that newspapers must invite contrary opinions and philosophies. However, knowing TOI, this hardly seems to be their intention. The difference between their sales and that of the next competitor is way too huge and hardly a bothersome issue for TOI. Also, a Booker doesn't translate into a man of classes :-)

@Vivek, DI - I agree !

@Ashwini - No chocolate for you! :-)

@Nalini - Bulls eye about fundamental right! However, why do we assume our intellectuals will always be logical? About Adiga, I don't even know if he is an intellectual.
Thanks for stopping by.

@all - The only reason to publish this article was because it indulges in BJP bashing. Nothing else makes any sense :-)

From what angle does it sound fanatic to you?
To me it sounds like a 'request', and what is wrong in wanting to preserve one's language, culture at a place where it belongs?

@Lady - Wow :) Were you born yesterday?

First, the post was about TOI's brain washing and how readers must learn to read between lines.

Second, if we are to get down to what's logical and what's not in the article itself : Can you point out what Adiga actually wants to say?

Is the loss of the language bothering him? Or is it the BJP?

Is it the lawlessness which worries him or is worried about the Bihari brothers teasing Kannadas?

Does he have some special spite against Hindi? Or is he drawing attention to the "deteriorating infrastructure, environmental pollution, and tense Hindu-Muslim relations in places like South Canara"?

Please let me know if you have figured out Adiga's grouse.

About culture, I am all for it. But, we must understand that as our cities become more global and there is migration of labour across states, local culture is bound to converge with the newer influences.

This however doesn't warrant pushing the panic button and forcing everyone to learn a state's language. The localites can continue to be proud of their heritage and yet give enough space to outsiders.