Readers’ comments: Why do Hindi speakers ‘mispronounce’ South Indian names?

The article (“Kannad, Keral, Karnatak: Why do Hindi speakers ‘mispronounce’ South Indian names?”) about mispronouncing South Indian names makes a very good point about the idiosyncrasies of languages. I agree that some of the anger about people saying “Kannad” or “Keral” is probably misplaced. But the same can’t be said about people’s names. Have you ever noticed that even North Indians make it a point to correctly pronounce Eastern European, Chinese, or African names, which can’t even be written correctly in Hindi? And then they butcher South Indian names like Siddaramaiah or Devegowda. Why not make the effort to pronounce these correctly? That’s what irks me more. – Ravi Krishnamurthy

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It’s a well-articulated article about Hindi’s “schwa” issues, and there’s no doubt that it raises a good point. This debate has been discussed at length on many social media platforms and on Quora, in my personal experience. However, one clear exception to this rule by Hindi speakers is their correct pronunciation of foreign and international names. Canada, America, and a host of other names are pronounced exactly as they are, without any “schwa” deletion. Canada and Kannada sound pretty much similar too, while Karnataka can follow “Amerika”! It’s not like they can’t pronounce these names. So why not make the same effort with South Indian names? – Chandan Bilagunda

Indian culture

Please do not generalise without verifying your facts and figures (“Opinion: To truly democratise Indian art and culture, the ‘classical’ must be declared dead”). Kindly refrain from dragging Odissi into the caste hegemony controversy, as such a thing never existed in Odissi. – Rahul Acharya

Kalakshetra scandal

I understand that the opinions presented in the article (“Kalakshetra abuse controversy should force a rethink of power hierarchies in ‘classical’ dance world”) belong solely to the writer, and the platform has included the necessary disclaimers. However, it’s unexpected to see such a strong and forceful criticism of an establishment published through the platform.

While I acknowledge that the second half of the article brings attention to a disturbing and pressing issue, but the first half comes across as Scroll labelling a prestigious art centre as blasphemous. While the writer may have many criticisms of the institute, it’s important to acknowledge the founding philosophy and contributions of those who established it, and not mock or disrespect them. Just because something is traditional doesn’t necessarily mean it should be dismissed.

Although the article is long and informative with detailed information about dates, events, history, and the future of the art form, it could have been written in a more balanced manner. A more balanced approach could have motivated and encouraged readers to support the necessary hierarchical changes in the art space. – Nisha Ramachandran Prakash

Renewable energy

Thank you for the comprehensive report on wind energy along Gujarat’s coast (“The dark side of wind energy along Gujarat’s coast”). It showcases investigative journalism at its best. – Dhanu Kothari