The associate editor of The Hindu, Narayan Lakshman, took to Twitter to scrutinize how the names associated with the ISRO mission, Gaganyaan and Chandrayaan are named in Hindi. He cries about how Hindi is being forcefully imposed outside the ‘cow belt’ by the Modi-led government.
Late question perhaps, but why are all these *national* missions named in #Hindi? Namo-bhai, there are Indians outside the cow belt too… pic.twitter.com/eSqOBTmasO
— Narayan Lakshman (@narlak) January 2, 2020
However, netizens responded promptly to this moral science lecture and tried to knock basic sense into The Hindu associate editor, which he clearly seems to be deprived of.
Twitter user Vinaya Pai briefed the editor that these words ‘Gaganyaan’ and Chandrayaan’ are actually derived from Sanskrit, a language of ancient India with a 3,500-year history which is also the oldest known languages in the world. She advised the journalist to ‘ditch this sectarianism’.
These are words derived from Sanskrit.
ഗഗനം [gaganaṁ] in malayalam
ਗਗਨ [gagana] in Punjabi
ஆகாயம் [ākāyam] in Tamil (similar to “Aakash”, another word for gagan)
గగనము [gaganamu] in Telagu
গগন [gagana] in Bengali
and so on…
So please ditch this sectarianism!— Vinaya Pai ?? (@vinaya_pai) January 2, 2020
Other Twitter users also pointed it out to him that even outside of ‘cow belt’, these are commonly used terms.
I was about to respond to that tweet, then saw yours. ?
— Krishnamoorthy (@Kripasabha) January 2, 2020
Cow-belt is the region of India spread over Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh which is largely rural and animal husbandry is a very common profession.
Many replies to you have shown that Gagan and Chandra are in languages other than Hindi. So, you are struck down on that one.
What amazes me is that in your bid to divide Hindi and non-Hindi speakers, you are displaying your contempt for Hindus with your ‘cow-belt’ comment
— Le Random Anon ल रैंडम एनॉन (@lerandomanon) January 2, 2020
People were also surprised at The Hindu Associate Editor’s attempt to divide Indians by forcefully trying to fit the ‘Hindi imposition’ narrative.
