16th May 2008
Colofn Golwg
Beth bynnag arall y gellir dweud am ladmeryddion y CBI a golygyddion y Western Mail, ar gwestiwn tragwyddol priod le yr iaith Gymraeg ym mywyd Cymru, mae nhw wedi bod yn gytun ac yn gyson ar hyd yr oesoedd. Pan gyhoeddodd y cwango iaith gwreiddiol – Cyngor yr Iaith Gymraeg (a benodwyd gan y Llywodraeth Lafur ddiwethaf) - ei adroddiad terfynol ar ddyfodol yr iaith, fe gyhoeddodd ‘Llais y Sais’ olygyddol a oedd yn lladd ar yr argymhellion o dan y teitl: Afrealedd Cymru Ddwyieithog. Fe benderfynodd yr Ysgrifenydd Gwladol ar y pryd mai mater i’r Cynulliad oedd dyfodol yr iaith Gymraeg. Claddwyd yr argymhellion ynghyd a datganoli ar Ddydd Gwyl Dewi y flwyddyn wedyn er mawr lawenydd i ysgriblwyr Thomson House.
Nawr bod gennym Gynulliad o’r diwedd mae dyfodol yr iaith nol yn ein dwylo ni. Democratiaeth ydi fy ngair i am y broses sydd dros y blynyddoedd wedi gorfodi cwmniau proffidiol i wneud pethau sydd o fudd cyffredinol na fydda nhw ddim yn ei wneud fel arall – peidio cyflogi plant, lladd eu gweithwyr trwy ddiffyg diogelwch, llygru’r amgylchedd, talu menywod yn llai na dynion, ac yn y blaen. Y gwir plaen yw mewn sustem gyfalafol sydd yn cael ei yrru gan y cymhelliad elw, er gwell neu er gwaeth, mae angen elfen o ‘orfodaeth’ i sicrhau cymdeithas war.
Nid yw’r rhan fwyaf ohonom ni yn cwestiynu’r angen am reoleiddio cwmniau sydd yn cyflogi, cynhyrchu a masnachu er mwyn gwneud arian. Wedi’r cwbl mae’r cwmniau hyn yn dibynnu arnon ni fel cymdeithas i sicrhau sustem gyfreithiol ayyb er mwyn gwarchod eu buddiannau a chyflenwi eu hanghenion. Mae cymdeithas yn cynnig trwydded i gwmni weithredu ar yr amod bod y cwmni yn parchu ac yn cyfrannu tuag at gynnal y gymdeithas honno. Mae hyn yn ymestyn i fwy na thalu threthi – mae’n cynnwys ymlyniad i ufuddhau y gyfraith sydd yn crisialu gwerthoedd y gymdeithas gynhenid.
I’r Western Mail a’r CBI dyw dwyieithrwydd ddim yn ddigon gwerthfawr i’w ddyrchafu i’r lefel o fod yn ddisgwyliad ar unrhyw un yn y sector preifat neu gwirfoddol. Mae hyn yn drueni, gan bod y CBI wedi colli cyfle unwaith eto i gau’r gagendor sydd wedi bodoli rhwng y diwylliant busnes yng Nghymru a’r diwylliant Cymreig a Chymraeg am ganrif a hanner. Mae agwedd ein papur cenedlaethol Saesneg yn fwy o siom fyth. Go brin y gellid nawr rhagweld y rhain yn rhedeg gwasaneth newyddion Cymraeg. Dyna fyddai afrealedd go iawn.
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Whatever you say about the spokesmen of CBI and the editors of the Western Mail on the eternal question of the Welsh language’s proper place in the life of Wales, they’ve been consistent and in agreement across the ages.
When the original language quango -the Welsh Language Council (appointed by the last Labour Government)- published its final report on the future of the language, the editorial ‘English Voice’ attacked the recommendations under the title ‘The Unreality of a Bilingual Wales’.
The then Welsh Secretary decided that the future of the Welsh language was a matter for the Assembly. The recommendations were laid to rest, along with devolution, on St David’s Day the following year to the joy of the WM scribblers in Thomson House.
Now that we finally have an Assembly the future of the language is back in our hands. Democracy is my word for the process which over the years has compelled profit making companies to do things which are for the common good but which they would not have done otherwise - not employing children,killing their workers through lack of safety, poluting the environment, paying women less than men, and so on.
The plain truth is, in a capitalist system that is driven by the motive of making a profit, for better or for worse, an element of ‘compulsion’ is needed to ensure a civilised society.
Most of us do not doubt the need to regulate companies which employ, produce and market in order to make money. After all these companies depend on us as a society to to ensure a legal system and so on to protect their interests and accomplish their needs.
Society offers a license for the companies to operate, on the condition that the companies respect and contribute to supporting that society. This goes beyond paying taxes - it includes an adherence to obeying laws which crystalize the values of the indigenous society.
For the Western Mail and the CBI bilingualism is not of sufficient worth to be requisite for anyone in the private or voluntary sector. This is a pity, as the CBI has lost the opportunity once again to close the gap which has existed for a century and a half between the business culture in Wales and the Welsh and Welsh speaking culture.
The attitude of our national English paper is even more of a dissappointment. We can hardly see these people running the Welsh language news service now. That would be a real unreality.
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