Engleash

I like to think of my interaction with language or with books in the way I think of human relationships. Awareness, respect, love, are all part of a relationship. Flexibility is important. But even relationships have rules which we evolve through an understanding of each other's personalities. If we don't know our limitations, and don't want to know about them, if we go even further and celebrate our limitations then the relationship may turn out to be a barren exercise.

Where English is concerned, colonialism becomes the excuse for all kinds of irrational arguments, for sloppiness in the name of 'fighting back'. The Empire Fights Back? It's a nonsensical phrase. Who or what are we fighting? It was Indians who wanted English to be taught in the first place. No one forced it down our throats. After half a century of ambivalence and confusion we now say we need it because it is a global language. Fine. Let's get down to learning it properly. Let's stop making fools of ourselves and get back to work.