Should Teacher's day be renamed to "Guru Utsav"?
Should Teacher's day be renamed to "Guru Utsav"?
Introduction
In India, we celebrate the birthday of honourable Dr. S. Radhakrishnan as Teacher’s Day. This day is a tribute to the contribution of all the teachers towards the society. The ‘Teacher’s Day’ has been named and been celebrated with this name for so many years now. Recently, the renaming of ‘Teacher’s Day to Guru Utsav’ has created a wide debate especially with the Tamil speaking people. After the celebration of Sanskrit week in schools, it’s the next controversy that Modi government has stepped into. The move is considered more to be a Hindu-Hindi theory. Should Teacher’s Day be renamed to ‘Guru utsav’?
Yes
- We being Indians should have our festivals named in our national language Hindi.
- We are at the stage when we are promoting the use of our own national language during the Internationals discussions. At this viewpoint of preaching our language, it would be better to have our Internal affairs being reported in our language first.
- Teacher’s Day and Guru Utsav means the one and the same thing. Our reason for the celebration and its charm will not decrease with this renaming. So why not go ahead with this change?
- Mr. Karunanidhi’s allegations on the anti-Hindi front is not an argument that could be supported, as naming the festival in our national language is no harm.
No
- The day is celebrated to pay tribute to the teachers and the celebration started by naming it as ‘Teacher’s Day’. Changing the name would definitely accompany the stigma which would reduce the charm.
- The year's old nomenclature would stick to the tongue and cannot be removed all that easily.
- Tamil speaking people were already against the usage of Hindi. This renaming would definitely affect their emotions.
- Such a renaming is again the preaching of Hindi and nothing else. BJP is slowly starting with its trade-mark effect of Hindivad which is not good with respect to all the other states especially the eastern and southern zone of India.
Conclusion
To be precise, the renaming concept is an unnecessary controversy for Modi. The celebration has its charm with its existing name and students and teachers do find the same as a better one. The renaming is no going to help anyone in any way. Using English is not a crime. We are using English as one of our official languages throughout our country, and it is a medium of global interaction as well. No language is good or bad in its entirety. Hence, it would be suffice to call the eve by its prevailing nomenclature as ‘Teacher’s Day’.
Discussion
- RE: Should Teacher's day be renamed to "Guru Utsav"? -Anjali Dixit (09/05/14)
- Naming Teachers day as "Guru Utsav" is not bad. It is acceptable but if it is hurting sentiments of one part of the nation then this change should not be adopted. As renaming the teachers day is not demanded by Hindi speaking people neither they have any problem with the existing name , so there is no point in creating division on the basis of language in the country.
- RE: Should Teacher's day be renamed to "Guru Utsav"? -Teena Bhatia (09/05/14)
- The government has ordered to change the name of Teachers’ Day to ‘Guru Utsav’. It was followed by a planned interaction of respected PM Narendra Modi with school children on occasion of Teachers’ Day. However, the step has created a controversy in the entire nation. All the political parties including Congress, MDMK, PMK and others are against the decision.
Here, it is important to understand that political controversies are always there, but still renaming of Teachers’ Day as ‘Guru Utsav’ doesn’t makes any sense. It is an uncalled controversy which has got no benefits. Changing the name to ‘Guru Utsav’ will not promote either Hindi or Sanskrit but will only create wall of difference between Hindus and other states. BJP itself is paving way for communcal differences in the nation.
The renaming of Teachers’ Day to ‘Guru Utsav’ is definitely not an innovative initiative as it is hampering the peace in nation. All the steps taken by PM Narendra Modi in this direction are creating agitation in Tamil states. They consider it as dictatorial mindset and attitude of PM Narendra Modi and somewhere there agitation is justified.
Coming to the use of Hindi on social media platform and celebration of Sanskrit week in schools was a different issue as it didn’t hurt anyone’s sentiments. It was just a start of a practice that will create awareness of Hindi and Sanskrit in youngsters. However, the latest step of renaming is nothing but an unwanted form of controversy in nation.
