Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Stories from Sirohi- Sorry, English can't be tolerated

Dyu & I was having our late lunch at a hotel. Over lunch, our conversations went on cinema, sound, and alot of other banter. After lunch, we were just hanging out talking a lot. The person who sat next to us requested us to  stop talking, " Baat mat karo." May be disturbing.

Public place and etiquette. For a moment, we thought we were loud and almost obliged his request. Before we even decide, he added, "You can speak in Hindi whatever you want but don't speak in English."

 

"Why?" we asked.

 

Because I'm against English. Can't tolerate English. Angrezi ko mei goli lagana chahta hu. Aap ki basha kya hai?" "Telugu" I said. 

 

"Talk in Telugu. Even we stay in Madras. I know that language. You can speak in it but not in English."

 

We laughed being dumbfounded by his sheer policing. His demands and absolute lack of knowledge on what language is spoken in what state and this guy demands us to stop talking in English.

 

 

It's not about language. I assume. It's about the identity they chose. I'm sure he'd be sending out his kids to English medium schools. He'd be wishing for his kids for a great job with more money and work in places where English is spoken. Why this hypocrisy then?

 

Leaving all this aside, if he was disturbed by our loud conversations. Reasonable. But, have a problem with us speaking English? We'd be spared if spoken Indian language because it's Indian.

 

Common, grow up, big kid. I speak Telugu, he speaks Odiya. I'm not fluent in Hindi. Both are fluent in English and we converse in a language we're comfortable in at our own place.

 

If public places are also policed by these ignorant people, can't understand what kind of individuals are we having around us?

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