We Speak English

How frequently is one prompted to write? How often does one boasts upon having an anglicized instinctive?

Well, I have been to various places in the country owing to my passion for writing, and the more I travel, the more incidents I get to pen down. Recently, I was getting down at Howrah Junction, when a young frivolous stroller collided with me. Showing some courtesy, I genially apologized, though certainly I wasn’t guilty. I expected a similar reciprocating gesture from the other side, but the fellow decried me to be the defaulter. Being an engineer, I thought off the incident to be a come and go, without pondering much on it. But, the ‘opponent’ was adamant to sort out a matter having no tip and toe. He uttered, “ Can’t you see and get down, You know how much it ‘hurted’ me, oh Gosh, I’m paining so much!” Yeah, this is the exact version of what he said and the red kinked line (which is a rare occasion when I create a doc file), below ‘hurted’ is indeed ‘paining me’! In no time I realized why the guy wanted a conflict. Just to show, that he can ‘Englishize!’ (‘Gosh’ another red kink!)

On many occasions, we come across such perturbed creatures, who just for the sake of projecting themselves to be among the elites, ruin their reputation. What to do with the futile mindset that speaking English is the sign of advancement? Yes, we all agree and I concur that speaking English verifies you to be among the educated, but then the incorrect usage, gives lot of others a reason to chuckle! By incorrect usage, I not at all mean to point at grammar or pronunciation, at least people are putting in efforts and they deserve commendable applause.

By incorrect, I mean doing something just for the sake of showing that I have teeming abilities as well, even if the situation doesn’t desire any such perplexed efforts. This has been a pretty common human tendency. When things are at par and need no extra care, even then we fail to abrogate and we continue to do something vague. The need of the hour is ignored sometimes, but a vehement approach is adopted to deal with some other subtle issue, just because catering it may prove us to be a chic, a hero!

What is the need to initiate subversion in those areas where everything is in the right place? Rather, some persisting troubles are just forgotten in this stampede. The amount of potential we possess, the leeway we have been assigned must be used to bring about a surge wherever needed. Similarly, English should be spoken by one with a motive to fulfill one’s requirements, not with an intention to announce oneself as a fake prodigy. (in India, off course!)

Why do we refrain from our mother tongue? Why do we tend to express something in way that not everybody accedes to? Perhaps, it results in a miring scenario for all those who are still not in terms with the language that has become the world’s promulgator.

Resounding efforts should be made to bring the entire population at par with the ‘Angrezi’ vocabulary, rather than focusing on how to create a deceptive and a contriving charm, because to an inhabitant in the rural land, Digital India still sounds as “Kampootar (computer, as we know!) wala bharat” and smart city as “saneema wala seher (cinema wala sheher!)