Don’t repay wrongs with reverse tyranny

I AM sorry that Mr Hopkins thinks my letter is a tirade against the Welsh language (“Any benefits in being monolingual?”, WM letters, October 19).

I have every regard for the ancient British tongue and have patiently over six years learned the language of my forefathers. However, I do object to the language being forced on the majority with the false idea that to speak it is essential to be truly Welsh.

The wrongs perpetrated on Welsh must not be repaid with a reverse tyranny. The English-speaking majority must not be disadvantaged or disproportionately underfinanced, as a Welsh language industry is expanded.

His peculiar view of history is inaccurate – the greatest help to the Welsh language was the authorisation by the English Parliament of the translation of the Bible into Welsh.

Whilst this was used to bolster Protestantism, it standardised the Welsh language, which was in danger of developing into two different languages.

Similarly, the Protestant state encouraged worship in the Welsh language with a translation of the Book of Common Prayer. This saved the Welsh language, from the extinction that overcame Cornish.

The Welsh language was at its zenith in 1900, with nearly a million speakers.

It was kept alive without subsidies. So why has it declined?

Well, as I point out, the healthy Welsh birthrate steadily declined and today the Welsh core population – those who speak it as a first language – is facing demographic collapse, with births being exceeded by deaths.

Just look at the statistics for birth registrations in Welsh. This is due to a collapse in the birth rates mirrored across Western Europe.

But for a minority language it is tragic. Plus, it should be noted that the census return exaggerates the numbers of Welsh-speakers by very devious wording.

The core Welsh-speaking population is in reality considerably less than 300,000 persons.

We could have the sad situation, as in Ireland, where more people speak the language as a second hobby language, whilst the core population is in meltdown.

As for Mr Jones (“All have ownership of our language”, WM letters, October 19) , I thank him for his letter as it confirms my view that Plaid Cymru’s agenda is being carried out by the inner Welshspeaking elite that governs Welsh Labour.

True Welshmen and true Britons should watch with vigilance any attempt to unravel our United Kingdom and sense of being British.

Presumably, if Mr Jones’ fantasy came true of an independent sovereign Wales, Plaid Cymru would then hand it over to Brussels/Berlin on a plate. Robert Ian Williams Bangor-is-y-Coed