Gained in translation

The languages that are spoken and sought after in a land have multiple roots: they are sometimes historical/ colonial hand-me-downs, an economic necessity at other times, a social imperative at yet other times. When India, a modern-day Babel with many languages and multiple dialects, finally decided to learn the lingo of its biggest neighbour, China, it was a huge cultural shift — from an obsession with the West and European languages, to glance at the East — and simultaneously an indicator of China’s growing relevance in the world.

A month after the decision to introduce Mandarin in CBSE schools, India has announced, in a furthering of its Look at Asian Languages theme, the establishment of undergraduate courses in Pashto and Dari, the official languages of Afghanistan.

While this is part of Indo-Afghan diplomacy, its significance goes beyond that. There’s a gentle but essential cultural nostalgia at play and an acknowledgement of our linguistic past. If Dari or Afghan Farsi was one of the court languages of the Mughals, Pashto is still spoken by many this side of the Radcliffe Line. Both reveal the linguistic heritage of the region — a cultural and commercial intersection for centuries — and it’s time to review and research the give-and-take that has happened.

This century could see the resurgence of multilingualism, a broad linguistic spectrum — facilitated by advanced translation tools and apps. Then, as it is now, it should need little reminder that both Dari and Pashto are not foreign to India.