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E-mail from readers the world over
Can you imagine Wodehouse's humour in any language other than English?
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Thu, 08 Jun 2000, 04:53:13EST Rohit Chopra's article made for interesting reading. I consider myself an Anglophile. I love all kinds of literature including English literature. I too have been called an 'elitist'. I too grew up in a middle class family in India. I now work in the US. Growing up in India, I felt very strongly about certain things. I felt that there was much to be gained by everyone being exposed to English literature. I felt even more strongly that everyone would gain a lot by taking literature more seriously. At that time, I believed that literature would open doors to new cultures and people. What I did not realise was that it was just as important to understand literature in my native language. I don't believe that it is just the English speaking in India who are branded 'elitist'. I think literature itself has been meted out very shoddy treatment time and again. To an extent, I sympathise with the nativists. English has pretty much become the language of commerce. If you are proficient in English, there is a fair chance that you are in a better position to earn your living than someone who is proficient in a regional language, say Kannada. I'm referring only to proficiency in the language here, not necessarily to literature. I'm sure 'nativists' in India feel left out. Proficiency in one of the Indian languages means less than proficiency in English. That is the verdict of the market place. And the nativists have reason to grieve. Slowly but surely many Indian languages are dying. I have tried to read several pieces of vernacular literature in English. I had to make do with reading U R Ananthamurthy's Samskara in English. And Kannada is my native tongue. A part of me grieves about this. The education system in India taught me English, Sanskrit, Kannada and Hindi. But English always occupied pride of place. When I wanted to read for fun, English books were available and this is something I realise in retrospect. I wrote book reviews on English novels when I was in school. Why is it that we were never taught to appreciate Indian literature? Isn't there something very wrong here? Everyone gains by exposure to literature, be it English or in the vernacular. India is a country that is still developing its infrastructure. Indians the world over know that the success of the Indian software industry has had as much to do with the availability of skilled software professionals as with the fact that most Indians are English speaking people. Justifiably, Indians are more concerned about software exports than they are about literature. I plead guilty -- I am a software professional myself. But as an economy progresses and moves beyond the subsistence level, we as a people will definitely be interested in our cultural selves. It would be terrible to be in a country that has 'lost' its languages and literature at the altar of economic progress. For Indians, English has been the gateway to the rest of the world for a long time. Most of India is still fascinated by the West. Sure, the East and the West have a lot to learn from each other. But Indians should also learn to appreciate their own languages and the literature of their land. While it is unfair to call Anglophiles in India elitist, I do wish to make a case for greater emphasis on literature in Indian education, with equal emphasis being laid on English and regional languages. I do recognise that it is important for Indians to learn English and to be able to appreciate English literature. The literature in the western world is great food for thought and is the best possible way to learn about countries and cultures that are very different from our own. However, it is just as important to recognise, appreciate and nurture regional/vernacular languages. Mekhala Vasthare
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Thu, 08 Jun 2000, 03:16:27EST -0000 I would neither call myself an elitist nor a nationalist, but one thing is for sure: Rohit Chopra's article makes one think. It is a debatable topic and such things need to be talked about. I have been of the opinion that any country with too many languages cannot succeed till it is united in some way. Considering the number of languages we speak in and the religions we follow, it is not going to be easy for us to progress. Though English may not be our mother tongue, it certainly offers a hope of unity in a certain fashion. Such thought provoking articles are very welcome. Hope to read more of them. Bipin Doshi
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Wed, 07 Jun 2000, 15:38:51EST -0700 I agree with Chopra's point of view and think that the venom of the nativists is misplaced. I have recently shifted to the States and cannot help but thank the sound foundation in the English language which I received throughout my primary and secondary education in not very elitist schools (where most of the time we were speaking in Marathi). However, I still appreciate Marathi poetry and lyrics of songs. Sanjeev Pai
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Wed, 07 Jun 2000, 15:25:31EST -0700 I don't know why Chopra is so furious about being called an elitist. If he thinks loving English literature is not a crime, then he should not feel guilty about it. There is no way he can change others' point of view. By writing such articles he is actually helping others. For instance, he called the other people `nativists' which shows disrespect towards them as the word native is used for tribes in USA. He should refrain from getting into such arguments. Abhinav Mishra
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Wed, 07 Jun 2000, 13:28:46EST -0700 The opponents of the English language should not educate their children in English medium schools and visit Gujarat and meet middle-aged persons to asses their reactions to the losses suffered by them because of the anti-English policy in education followed by Morarji and his clique K N Desai
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Wed, 07 Jun 2000, 16:34:37EST -0500 Rohit Chopra has mentioned that reading, writing and being passionate about English literature has nothing to do with the so-called Kala Angrej culture. I think he is an exception. My previous experiences with these types of Kala Angrej have convinced me that Arun Sadhu is right in his observation about their general lifestyle. If Chopra has even a little respect for regional cultures, he would not have referred to Arun Sadhu as 'one gentleman called Arun Sadhu'. In case you didn't know it Chopra, this `gentleman called Sadhu' has served as editor of one of the prestigious newspapers in Mumbai. He has written not less than five best-selling books in Marathi. If you can find some time from your busy schedule, please try to read his Mumbai Dinank. That will give you some idea about the kind of writer he is. Parag Shukla
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Wed, 07 Jun 2000, 20:42:56EST +0200 A timely article but there are some nativists too for whom the BJP is the worst demon. What I am trying to say is that it is not merely the forces of Hindutva that have made all this talk of 'colonial' and 'elitist' fashionable. Narahari Rao
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Wed, 07 Jun 2000, 16:58:38EST -0400 This article by Rohit Chopra is highly impressive. I would love to read more of his columns. Ramani Sreemantula
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Wed, 07 Jun 2000, 13:10:13EST -0500 What is the exact point the writer is trying to make? If this article was persuasive in nature, what was the problem in the first place and what is the solution? As far as English literature is concerned, hardly anybody will argue that it is improper to read it or to have passion for it. So, I thought it was a very vague outburst of emotions, against whom I have no idea. As for Salman Rushdie, he argued that literature in vernacular Indian languages has no class (or something to that effect). I disagree. When he hardly knows any vernacular language he has no moral right to comment on it. I think every language has its own charm and is a homogenous part of a culture. To illustrate: My mother tongue is Marathi. I have read a lot of Marathi literature. I can't think of reading P L Deshpande's humour in any language other than Marathi. Similarly, can you imagine P G Wodehouse's humour in any language other than in English? Indraneel
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Wed, 07 Jun 2000, 15:00:43EST -0400 How can anybody be expected to read such garbage? Rabindra Gaan
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Wed, 07 Jun 2000, 15:24:58EST -0400 I really enjoyed reading your article. I was able to identify clearly with what you had to say and I believe you have struck a chord with many others like myself (to whom I will be forwarding the link to the article). Keep up the good work! Chadha Vikram
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Wed, 07 Jun 2000, 10:06:57EST -0700 I totally agree with Chopra's views. Culture and Indianness are relative and no one can say for sure 'what is it' or point out 'this is it'. The laments of the so-called moral guardians of Indian culture are pitiful and don't address any worthwhile issue. The only contribution they have made can be seen in Hindi movies where ill-conceived characters who are shown as living outside the country yearn for Indian tradition and values which are archaic and derogatory in a modern society. They stop short of associating Indian cultural tradition with Sati, bride burning, dowry and the caste system. They don't seem to digest the fact that you can be an Indian like anyone else regardless of the language you speak, the dress you wear, your tastes in music and films and your general views on life, whether you believe in god or not and so on. This could be because of the colonial hangover and narrow-mindedness which has creeped into our society. Anup Kurian
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Wed, 07 Jun 2000, 11:47:42EST -0500 If Chopra really doesn't care if people call him elitist, he need not have written about it. Common men are going to say things about others no matter what you do or where you come from. Sometimes these common men may even be disguised as popular speakers. So who cares what other people call us? So what if you are or are not an elitist? Murugan Padmanabhan
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