Discard ‘English vinglish, sadda haq, etthe rakh’

Sandeep Sinha

Advertisement

Sir Humphrey Appleby must be turning in his grave. The mighty steel frame has been dented by the in-your-face remark of Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Badal at the World Punjabi Conference in Chandigarh that most IAS officers in Punjab are not proficient in English. Manpreet, who obviously has not seen the movie English Vinglish starring Sridevi, remarked, “When I read letters and memorandum written by them to the Centre, I hang my head in shame. How have they passed the IAS examination.”  

While Manpreet found fault with the IAS officers for not being proficient in English, he did not accuse them of not knowing the Punjabi language. This can be of some solace, for IAS and IPS officers are required to be proficient in the language of the state cadre to which he or she is allotted as they have to deal with the local politicians and the masses.   

Working for this newspaper in Bathinda, I have seen the Deputy Commissioners, hailing from a different state, speak at public functions in fluent Punjabi. “CM sahib chaunde ne,” is a common utterance. So, more than criticizing for the poor English, Manpreet was supporting the cause of Punjabi language, whose decline made Surjit Pattar remark, “Mar rahi hai meri bhasha, shabd shabd, vak, vak.”

There are officers like Pawan Verma and Navtej Sarna, though from the IFS, who have penned books. In fact IPS officer Manmohan’s debut Punjabi novel Nirvaan won the Sahitya Akademi award. There is Shashi Tharoor, an acclaimed writer, whose accent has given rise to WhatsApp jokes.

The official use of English language for the Babus is limited mostly to writing official and demi official letters, besides noting and drafting. It remains an art in which the ‘Bada Babu’ is more adept at.

The social composition of the bureaucracy has also changed over the years. It is more heterogeneous. Many of the candidates qualify with language paper as optional or by writing their exam in medium other than English. So, English proficiency gets discounted.   

When the British decided to introduce Western education in India, there was a debate. The Orientalists said Indians should be given education in their own language for it was not possible for the British to take responsibility for mass education in India. The Anglicists were of the view that English would give Indians exposure to Western values and create a class of Indians, who could be employed by the British.

Governance needs have put the focus on the local language. What will a DC get to understand by merely speaking in English while touring villages in a block or at a janta darbar?

Manpreet’s disappointment can be understood. He has studied at the Doon school, St. Stephen’s College in Delhi and has a law degree from the University of London. It is a pedigree not even many IAS officers can boast of. So, the expectation will be there. But then, should good English be expected only of an IAS officer? What about the ministers and MLAS? Language tends to be different from literature in governance. 

In Bathinda, I had the privilege of being privy to the English speaking skills of the Badals, albeit in small measure. When my mother passed away, I received a condolence call from Manpreet Badal, and his English was impeccable. His feisty cousin Sukhbir Badal speaks English equally well, prefixing his sentence with “Brother”. Veteran Parkash Singh Badal was eloquent in English when he addressed the gathering at the function held to launch the local edition of this newspaper. But it was Simranjit Singh Mann who floored me with his English speaking skills. 

Manpreet can seek solace from the Pedro Carolino book English As She Is Spoke, which depicts the humour in dictionary-aided translations into English. When English fails to get him Central funds, he can always switch to Punjabi and tell the Niti Aayog, “Sadda haq, etthe rakh.” 

(The writer is News Editor, The Tribune)