One of my teachers, a foreigner, said something a few weeks ago which remained with me. Foreigners who live in India for a few years and are interested in local culture often make very good observations. She asked us one day why so many people in India insist on speaking in English with each other, when there is Hindi, besides a whole variety of other vernacular languages. I thought that since she wasn't British but from another country in Europe - that was the reason for the question. She also mentioned something about our colonial past and Indians feeling inferior, hence wanting to hang on to the past etc. True? Maybe, a little. But that hurt nevertheless. I knew what I wanted to tell her, but thought it would be rude to argue at that moment so left it there.
I've often wondered about it too. I have absolutely nothing against English. In fact, it's a big part of my life. My schooling and college education have been in English and for a lot of jobs in India today, English is mandatory. So much so that sometimes our world seems incomplete without it. In fact, the new international airport in Delhi is so international that it does not have instructions in Hindi! Wow, you might say? Not really!
India is a diverse country with so many different cultures, religions and languages. Everyone holds their mother tongue close to their heart. But when it comes to English, there are no rules. It is definitely one of the requirements of today. But do we really need to be obsessed with it?
Take a few examples. The daughter of the press-wallah (the person who irons our clothes) often gets them back and whenever you ask her how much you should pay, the answer is always - fifteen, twenty three, eleven -- but never the words for the numbers in Hindi. She never wears any Indian clothes; it's always jeans and capris for her. People who have not received their education in English from an early level sometimes end up doing the same. They'll speak in English with you; broken English but English all the same. I've had the same experience in markets, shopping malls etc with sales people, so much so that I insist on speaking in Hindi with them. The prevalence is such that whenever friends or colleagues visit from another country, we tell them - please don't worry, everyone speaks English here, even the vegetable seller and the auto driver. I've been stumped a few times. If I speak Hindi and so do you, then what is the reason that we can't speak the same language? But no, they won't. Models who participated in beauty pageants sometimes lost in the final round because some of them didn't know English and whatever they said didn't come out too well. They had the option to speak in Hindi, but they didn't. People who work as domestic help in homes sometimes want to adopt the same practice. It's always amusing to see the neighbour's maid buying vegetables - when she begins to ask for cabbage and cauliflower.
I am a huge fan of Amitabh Bachchan - not just because of his immense acting talent, but also because of the way he uses Hindi on his show, Kaun Banega Crorepati (the Indian remake of Who Wants To Be
a Millionaire). It is so good and effortless, I can watch him endlessly.
Please don't think I'm being judgemental. Far from it. The question perplexes me equally. The English language has tremendous importance in our lives, especially mine. It feels natural to use it. I'm just wondering when it became so overpowering that people feel the need to use it everywhere. I am guilty of not knowing better Hindi or reading books in Hindi or even typing in Hindi, and I'm sorry about it, it's just happened over the years, but I do my bit. I love reading books in English, I've been brought up on them, but I adore Hindi films as well and I would die without Hindi film music or television! I don't stand the reasoning of some people that everything in English is good, whereas everything in Hindi - cinema, music etc is not worth it or not cool enough! The idea of a foreign visit is exciting to me, but some days into it, I long to meet someone who shares the same language - and then even a South Asian will do, forget about being Indian. :)
Knowing English is the requirement of today. But then, tell me why you choose to live in a foreign country but can't let go of your culture. Why is it that you adopt their dress sense but you still long for those special meals only your mother can cook and celebrate your festivals.
There are no easy answers and this is no interrogation, just my thoughts being shared. We need English, but we also need other languages - be it Hindi or whatever language in the world you may speak. English brings us together; it helps us communicate with many in the world and that is a powerful tool. But all languages are
beautiful, and at the end of it, your heart belongs to your country, doesn't it? Happy Republic Day!
I've often wondered about it too. I have absolutely nothing against English. In fact, it's a big part of my life. My schooling and college education have been in English and for a lot of jobs in India today, English is mandatory. So much so that sometimes our world seems incomplete without it. In fact, the new international airport in Delhi is so international that it does not have instructions in Hindi! Wow, you might say? Not really!
India is a diverse country with so many different cultures, religions and languages. Everyone holds their mother tongue close to their heart. But when it comes to English, there are no rules. It is definitely one of the requirements of today. But do we really need to be obsessed with it?
Take a few examples. The daughter of the press-wallah (the person who irons our clothes) often gets them back and whenever you ask her how much you should pay, the answer is always - fifteen, twenty three, eleven -- but never the words for the numbers in Hindi. She never wears any Indian clothes; it's always jeans and capris for her. People who have not received their education in English from an early level sometimes end up doing the same. They'll speak in English with you; broken English but English all the same. I've had the same experience in markets, shopping malls etc with sales people, so much so that I insist on speaking in Hindi with them. The prevalence is such that whenever friends or colleagues visit from another country, we tell them - please don't worry, everyone speaks English here, even the vegetable seller and the auto driver. I've been stumped a few times. If I speak Hindi and so do you, then what is the reason that we can't speak the same language? But no, they won't. Models who participated in beauty pageants sometimes lost in the final round because some of them didn't know English and whatever they said didn't come out too well. They had the option to speak in Hindi, but they didn't. People who work as domestic help in homes sometimes want to adopt the same practice. It's always amusing to see the neighbour's maid buying vegetables - when she begins to ask for cabbage and cauliflower.
I am a huge fan of Amitabh Bachchan - not just because of his immense acting talent, but also because of the way he uses Hindi on his show, Kaun Banega Crorepati (the Indian remake of Who Wants To Be
a Millionaire). It is so good and effortless, I can watch him endlessly.
Please don't think I'm being judgemental. Far from it. The question perplexes me equally. The English language has tremendous importance in our lives, especially mine. It feels natural to use it. I'm just wondering when it became so overpowering that people feel the need to use it everywhere. I am guilty of not knowing better Hindi or reading books in Hindi or even typing in Hindi, and I'm sorry about it, it's just happened over the years, but I do my bit. I love reading books in English, I've been brought up on them, but I adore Hindi films as well and I would die without Hindi film music or television! I don't stand the reasoning of some people that everything in English is good, whereas everything in Hindi - cinema, music etc is not worth it or not cool enough! The idea of a foreign visit is exciting to me, but some days into it, I long to meet someone who shares the same language - and then even a South Asian will do, forget about being Indian. :)
Knowing English is the requirement of today. But then, tell me why you choose to live in a foreign country but can't let go of your culture. Why is it that you adopt their dress sense but you still long for those special meals only your mother can cook and celebrate your festivals.
There are no easy answers and this is no interrogation, just my thoughts being shared. We need English, but we also need other languages - be it Hindi or whatever language in the world you may speak. English brings us together; it helps us communicate with many in the world and that is a powerful tool. But all languages are
beautiful, and at the end of it, your heart belongs to your country, doesn't it? Happy Republic Day!
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