“A universal language for India should be Hindi, with the option of writing in Persian or Nagari characters. In order that Hindus and Mahomedans may have closer relations, it is necessary to know both the characters. And, if we can do this, we can drive the English language out of the field in a short time. All this is necessary for us, slaves. Through our slavery the nation has been enslaved, and it will be free with our freedom.”
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About this quote
A shared language works like connective tissue between communities that would otherwise talk past each other. Learning the other side's script or tongue is less about grammar than about reducing dependence on an outsider and building the trust that lets people cooperate and stand on their own.
When to use it
- New arrivals in a town take evening classes in the local language to join community life fully.
- A company with offices on three continents agrees on one working language for meetings.
- Two neighbors from different backgrounds each learn a bit of the other's tongue to trade easily.