Fifteen Years

Fifteen Years

  • Submitted By: divyavijayan
  • Date Submitted: 09/26/2010 5:28 AM
  • Category: English
  • Words: 2256
  • Page: 10
  • Views: 493

FIFTEEN YEARS.
FIFTEEN YEARS WHICH ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN THE WEEKLY MAGAZINE OF THE HINDU IN 1953 POINTS OUT HOW IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO BANISH ENGLISH LANGUAGE FROM INDIA. ENGLISH LANGUAGE IS HERE PERSONAIFIED AS A PRISONER FACING TRIAL IN A COURT, AND PEOPLE WHO DISLIKE ENGLISH IN INDIA IS THE JUDGE.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN INDIA HAS, ACCORDING TO R K NARAYAN BECOME A SUBJECT THAT CONFUSES PEOPLE. THEY APPRECIATE IT, BUT THEY SEEM TO BE EAGER TO BANISH IT FROM THE COUNTRY. MANY YEARS AGO THE ABILITY TO SPEAK GOOD ENGLISH WAS CONSIDERED A MATTER OF PRESTIGE, AND A GIRL WAS REGARDED AS AN ACCOMPLISHED ONE IF SHE HAD READ THE WORKS OF FAMOUS ENGLISH NOVELIST LIKE SCOTT AND DICKENS. A YOUNG MAN WHO COULD DRAFT A LETTER IN ENGLISH EASILY AND WELL, HAD A GOOD CHANCE FOR EMPLOYMENT TOO. PEOPLE WHO WERE NOT WELL VERSED IN ENGLISH USED TO DECLARE THAT IF THEY HAD KNOWN ENGLISH, THEY WOULD HAVE CONQUERED THE WHOLE WORLD. BUT NOW FOR VARIOUS REASONS WE DEMAND THE ABOLITION OF THIS LANGUAGE.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE, PERSONIFIED AS A WOMAN DEMANDS THE REASON FOR HATING HER. INDIA, REPRESENTED AS THE JUDGE, REPLIES THAT EHGLISH IS THE LANGUAGE OF THE PEOPLE WHO OPPRESSED US, ENSLAVED US AND RULES US BY ERECTING BARRIERS BETWEEN US. THE PRISONER, COMMENTS THAT THE JUDGE SPEAKES VERY GOOD ENGLISH. BUT THE JUDGE RETORS THAT HE IS NOT FLATTERED BY IT, AND ORDERS ENGLISH LANGUAGE TO QUIT. SHE CAN GO TO HER OWN COUNTRY. BUT SHE REPLIED THAT THIS IS HER COUNTRY, AND EVEN IF SHE IS ASSIGNED THE LOWEST RANK IN SCHOOLS, SHE WILL FIND OTHER PALCES TO STAY. SHE QUOTES A PASSAGE FROM SHAKESPEARE TO PROVE HER LOVE OF NATURAL SCENES. BUT THE JUDGE FORBIDS HER TO QUOTE ANYTHING FROM SHAKESPEARE.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE CLAIMED THAT SHE HAS THE RIGHT TO KNOW WHY SHE IS THROWN OUT OF INDIA. THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION ALLOWS HER THAT RIGHT, BUT THE JUDGE RETORTS THAT THIS CONSTITUTION IS NOT APPLICABLE TO NON-INDIANS. BUT ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARGUES THAT SHE IS MORE INDIAN THAN THE JUDGE, FOR THE JUDGE MAY BE...

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