We can Taalk english, waalk English, Loff Englsh....bherry phunny it is!!!
When Indians speak the Queen's language, it isn't usually the way
the British
understand it! So we all know about the Malayali who `zimbly' crossed the
road
and went to `koledj.' And the Gujarati who asked for `snakes' at a Udipi
joint.
And the Punjabi who bought a new `Mrruti 800'. And the Bengali who lost
all data on his computer because he didn't `shave' them...
English, like Amitabh Bachchan observed in Namak Halal, is a funny
language. "I can talk English, I can walk English, I can laugh English,"
said the Big B. How true! The Queen's language, along with Hindi,
is probably what bridges several diverse Indian communities as the most
convenient means of communication. But on its own, English attains a
comical effect when used by most of us, who belong to different communities.
Hampered by strong mother-tongue interference, we struggle with alphabets
that either
twist our tongue or slip across it.
"Do you know that certain communities are not comfortable with
certain alphabets?" asks Jyoti Parikh, teacher and avid people-watcher.
"Like Maharashtrians have a problem with the alphabet F, while they also
share an almost equal aversion to anything sounding `sh' with the
Gujaratis."
So there's Mr Patkar having major `confujan' while filling up his
club membership
`pharm,' while Mr Patel is troubled by what his wife has served him for
dinner - `begdis.'
"But some have a fixation with a particular alphabet," says Parikh. Like
the Malayali from Malad who likes to emphasise the `r' and complains
about the poor `waterr' supply in his building. Poor guy, he doesn't get
enough to bathe with his favourite `Lex' soap. And, mind you, he is highly
qualified - `Yum A' in literature! By the way, Y is a favourite alphabet,
whose popularity cuts across all South Indian communities, especially
since they aren't very fond of alphabets M and E. So don't be surprised if
you
encountered anybody from the South who's seen a strange movie called
"Yenter The Dragon"
But when it comes to who's the boss, the Tamilian swears by his
`bass,' while the Malayali sticks to his `bose.' The Tamilian, you see,
loves the sound of a `ya' or `aa' at the end of a sentence. "Ready-aa?" he
may
ask. On the other hand, the Malayali may prefer to ask things in a
negative tone - "It's very hot, no?"
But the Gujarati from Ghatkopar doesn't particularly like the sound
of the alphabet `A.' So he may shock a shopkeeper by asking
him to `rape' (wrap) a few samosas for him. And then at home, he hears
his wife telling the neighbour, "Maro dikro states ma udi gayo." It takes
him a while to realise that his son has not flown to the US, but has
simply failed his stats (or statistics) test at school...
Okay, so the objective of littering around so many examples about
the usage of English by different communities is not to make fun of
them. It is just to show how English, while an integral part of our daily
life in a
cosmopolitan city like Hyderabad, has been moulded to suit cultural
convenience and basic communication requirements of a diverse
population. Of course, it's also a fact that how our Sindhi neighbour
or Bihari boss or Goan friend talk in the Queen's language is often a source
of
entertainment.
Indian English is here to stay. But for those who pride on their
convent education, think again. Why do we say that our parents are "pulling
on well" when asked about them? Surely, our parents are not a pair of
bullocks, right? And what do we say when somebody asks whether we are
keeping
good health? After all, you don't keep good health, you enjoy it.
Now, go on, listen to `pope' music, bite into a `pijja' and chumma enjoy
life.
`Wokay?'



