SUICIDES, RAHUL GANDHI AND AKHILESH YADAV
I recall two incidents, one recent and the other several years old. Last week, I was at Mumbai Airport waiting for my flight to be announced. Seated next to me was an elderly couple who told me they were NRIs settled in the US for over 40 years. They looked at the book I was carrying in my hand—a book about innovation. The man said that he worked for one of the most innovative companies in the world. He asked me what I did for a living. I told him about my workshops on lateral thinking and my pursuits as an author. I also told them that my new book, ISMILE PLEASE, was to be released anytime. The announcer announced our flight. The two NRIs rushed to join the queue, not noticing that I too had followed them. While in the queue, the wife told her husband, "This man says he is an author and a trainer. But he cannot even speak English properly. Look at the way he says 'Ismile' instead of 'smile'. I think he is just a rustic."
On an earlier occasion, I was at Chennai airport when I noticed the dancing star and film director Prabhu Deva sitting across the aisle from me. A woman walked up to him and tried to chat him up but returned disappointed since Deva could not speak English, at least not to the level expected by the woman. She returned to the seat next to me and, with some contempt, told me, "He is supposed to be a star, but he cannot even speak English."
Now let me clarify the first episode. I have deliberately named my book ISMILE PLEASE, this being something that I recall from my school days in Mumbai. The annual group photograph of the class would be taken sometime in March. The school photographer used to try his best to make us smile when he clicked, but we pranksters refused to smile until he got wind of our prank. Thereafter, he used to say "Ismile Please," and we kids, accustomed to berating those who did not speak "good" English, used to laugh—this was exactly what the photographer wanted! I named my book ISMILE PLEASE in memory of those eventful and fun photo sessions.
Now I see something similar happening. Last week, in the wake of the elections in UP, some of my friends raised an interesting question—why did Akhilesh Yadav reply in Hindi to questions posed in English by the Mumbai-Delhi-based TV channels? Some suggested that Akhilesh was at the bottom of it all, the kind of "rustic" that many people usually associate with people from UP who are contemptuously referred to as Bhayya, which also happens to be the nickname for Akhilesh.
I have an explanation for this "bizarre" behavior of Akhilesh. Akhilesh wants to be known and identified as the down-to-earth grassroots man with whom his people in UP can identify. Is it possible that Rahul's defeat may at least partially be attributed to his disconnect with the common man in UP? Is it possible that Akhilesh does not want to be co-opted by the Mumbai-Delhi English-dominated TV channels? Is it possible that Rahul's urban cool dude image worked against him?
I was deeply affected by recent reports of several Dalit students in prestigious educational institutions like AIIMS, IIT, and IIM committing suicide. The upper caste explanation for this tragic phenomenon is predictable—these quota wallahs get in entirely due to reservations and are thereafter unable and indeed incapable of coping with the exacting academic demands of these "top class institutions." Now many of us may agree with this, but let me tell you something painful. A major enquiry conducted into these suicides showed that these dead Dalit students were, in fact, brilliant, with an enviable academic record, including in the so-called tough entrance exams to these institutions. What made them take their lives, according to this enquiry, was the hatred and discrimination they faced at the hands of students and faculty belonging to upper caste, English-comfortable people. "These guys can't even speak English" is the refrain. The response from at least one "top" institution to this report was predictable—outright denial and even a threat to file a defamation suit!
There are unmistakable signs of major changes in the Indian psyche. There is no space here to list some of them. I invite readers to share their insights.
Regards,
K.R. Ravi
From India, Coimbatore
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746I recall two incidents, one recent and the other several years old. Last week, I was at Mumbai Airport waiting for my flight to be announced. Seated next to me was an elderly couple who told me they were NRIs settled in the US for over 40 years. They looked at the book I was carrying in my hand—a book about innovation. The man said that he worked for one of the most innovative companies in the world. He asked me what I did for a living. I told him about my workshops on lateral thinking and my pursuits as an author. I also told them that my new book, ISMILE PLEASE, was to be released anytime. The announcer announced our flight. The two NRIs rushed to join the queue, not noticing that I too had followed them. While in the queue, the wife told her husband, "This man says he is an author and a trainer. But he cannot even speak English properly. Look at the way he says 'Ismile' instead of 'smile'. I think he is just a rustic."
On an earlier occasion, I was at Chennai airport when I noticed the dancing star and film director Prabhu Deva sitting across the aisle from me. A woman walked up to him and tried to chat him up but returned disappointed since Deva could not speak English, at least not to the level expected by the woman. She returned to the seat next to me and, with some contempt, told me, "He is supposed to be a star, but he cannot even speak English."
Now let me clarify the first episode. I have deliberately named my book ISMILE PLEASE, this being something that I recall from my school days in Mumbai. The annual group photograph of the class would be taken sometime in March. The school photographer used to try his best to make us smile when he clicked, but we pranksters refused to smile until he got wind of our prank. Thereafter, he used to say "Ismile Please," and we kids, accustomed to berating those who did not speak "good" English, used to laugh—this was exactly what the photographer wanted! I named my book ISMILE PLEASE in memory of those eventful and fun photo sessions.
Now I see something similar happening. Last week, in the wake of the elections in UP, some of my friends raised an interesting question—why did Akhilesh Yadav reply in Hindi to questions posed in English by the Mumbai-Delhi-based TV channels? Some suggested that Akhilesh was at the bottom of it all, the kind of "rustic" that many people usually associate with people from UP who are contemptuously referred to as Bhayya, which also happens to be the nickname for Akhilesh.
I have an explanation for this "bizarre" behavior of Akhilesh. Akhilesh wants to be known and identified as the down-to-earth grassroots man with whom his people in UP can identify. Is it possible that Rahul's defeat may at least partially be attributed to his disconnect with the common man in UP? Is it possible that Akhilesh does not want to be co-opted by the Mumbai-Delhi English-dominated TV channels? Is it possible that Rahul's urban cool dude image worked against him?
I was deeply affected by recent reports of several Dalit students in prestigious educational institutions like AIIMS, IIT, and IIM committing suicide. The upper caste explanation for this tragic phenomenon is predictable—these quota wallahs get in entirely due to reservations and are thereafter unable and indeed incapable of coping with the exacting academic demands of these "top class institutions." Now many of us may agree with this, but let me tell you something painful. A major enquiry conducted into these suicides showed that these dead Dalit students were, in fact, brilliant, with an enviable academic record, including in the so-called tough entrance exams to these institutions. What made them take their lives, according to this enquiry, was the hatred and discrimination they faced at the hands of students and faculty belonging to upper caste, English-comfortable people. "These guys can't even speak English" is the refrain. The response from at least one "top" institution to this report was predictable—outright denial and even a threat to file a defamation suit!
There are unmistakable signs of major changes in the Indian psyche. There is no space here to list some of them. I invite readers to share their insights.
Regards,
K.R. Ravi
From India, Coimbatore
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It is not the language alone, as said by the author. It is the ATTITUDE of the people. English is mandatory in this competitive world for survival. Without English, educated people can't survive. I totally disagree with the point of view of the author.
Regards,
Pon
From India, Lucknow
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Regards,
Pon
From India, Lucknow
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