[Assam] assam Digest, Vol 26, Issue 58

[Arindam Garg]

With due respects to all, it is extremely ironic and
slightly funny that we are debating on the usage of
English language in India and using English as the
medium for it.

I have no clue where this 1.5 % of population in India
speak English came from but what I can tell you
definitely is that studies conducted by the British
Council and various Management surveys in India are of
the firm view that India would be having the highest
English speaking population in the world by 2010.

And as Manojda pointed out, it is going to be the
universal language in the Global Village called Planet
Earth. China and Russia have started looking at
English in their primary schools.

The harsh reality in India now is that to become a
salesman in a decent shop or to work even in a parlour
in any metro you need to know English. The rest of the
qualifications.....well they dont even look at them
while hiring. The Outsourced business which is pumping
dollars into the Indian economy is the best
example....the housekeeping staff in many of these
places know English,and yes you have our own Assamese
guys and girls there too.

The greatness about Indian culture is that it can
absorb anything that comes whether it is language,
culture, people, Indianise them and at the same time
ensure that the culture remains intact. 

Hey I used the word Indianise, is it there in the
English language...probably no not at this moment of
time, but its just a matter of time before we see it
in the Oxford dictionary.


arindam garg


 

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> > Today's Topics:
> 
>    1. Re: Book review : India After Gandhi- Bengal
> democracy (Manoj Das)
>    2. Re: Book review : India After Gandhi- Bengal
> democracy
>       (Ram Sarangapani)
>    3. Re: Book review : India After Gandhi- Bengal
> democracy (Manoj Das)
> > From: "Manoj Das" <dasmk2k at gmail.com>
> To: "A Mailing list for people interested in Assam
> from around the world"
> 	<assam at assamnet.org>
> Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2007 10:04:17 +0530
> Subject: Re: [Assam] Book review : India After
> Gandhi- Bengal democracy
> 
> Ramda Rajenda et al..
> 
> Why we have taken to learning English language in
> India, apart from the
> reasons mentionedl:
> 
> 1. this is the best river to gain entry into the
> ocean of knowledge ;
> 2. if at all we have to learn a language of others;
> get the best in world;
> which is not pure bred like the French;
> 
> As for me I learned the first A B C Ds in class IV
> in high school. The
> teachers were awfully unequipped. There was a rumour
> in Class -VI that we
> will have the option to completely avoid English,
> 99% of the students were
> very very happy. When I took admission in
> PU(Science) at Cotton College,
> again I had the option to take either Assamese or
> English medium. Our
> teacher KD Krori sir told us: Those who want to
> become Doctors, Engineers,
> Scientists should opt for English, it will be easier
> later. And I don't
> regret now. i am learning the language daily.
> 
> It's neither local, nor foreign, it's the WORLD
> LANGUAGE, and we cannot wish
> away that.
> 
> Two banes are going to be boons for India 1. The
> English language 2. The
> population.
> 
> regards to all
> -manoj
> 
> On 9/29/07, Rajen & Ajanta Barua
> <barua25 at hotmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >  Ram:
> > If you insist to know my views:
> > English is a foreign language in India because:
> > 1) It is not rooted in India.
> > 2) There is nothing Indian about it except the
> fact the middle class
> > Indians use it to overcome the difficulty of their
> too many languages.
> > 3) It was never a language in India during the
> last 5000 years of India's
> > history except during the British colonial rule.
> > 4) We even cannot say that we have been using this
> language for 100 years
> > even by the middle class.
> > 5) It can be compared only to Persian language
> which was also at one time
> > imposed as a court language in India during the
> Moghol rules and which is
> > dead in India now.
> > 6) Even today, even after 100 years, it is spoken
> in India by only 1.5% of
> > Indians (quoted from email net - less than 1.5% of
> the population actually
> > have proficiency in it-KC.)
> > 7) Nobody in India, even the majority of middle
> class Indians like you,
> > would consider English as an Indian language.
> >
> > and many more.
> >
> > Indians always need something 'foreign' to rule
> themselves:
> > the Aryans, the Rajputs, the Afghans, the Moghuls,
> the British, and now
> > the English language.
> > BTW I am not looking for an response on this from
> you. I think this is a
> > waste of time even to debate on this issue.
> > Thanks
> > Barua
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > *From:* Ram Sarangapani <assamrs at gmail.com>
> > *To:* A Mailing list for people interested in
> Assam from around the world<assam at assamnet.org>
> > *Sent:* Friday, September 28, 2007 10:09 PM
> > *Subject:* Re: [Assam] Book review : India After
> Gandhi- Bengal democracy
> >
> > >We can start with a definition of the word
> 'foreign' looking at a
> > dictionary
> >
> > Why look into a dictionary? I think most of us
> know what "foreign" and
> > what "native" means? The dictionary is not going
> to tell me anything
> > different.
> >
> > >and see if we can call 'English' a foreign
> language or a native language.
> >
> > You were the one who claimed it is a "foreign
> language". So, before we put
> > this into a plebicite of sorts, I wanted to know
> why you call it "foreign".
> > I said it is not a foreign language in India, and
> I gave netters a few
> > reasons. There are many more. I hope you will
> provide us some reasons why
> > you claim it is foreign.
> >
> > Once you are able to do that, we can go from
> there.:)
> >
> > --Ram
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On 9/28/07, Rajen & Ajanta Barua
> <barua25 at hotmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > >  We can start with a definition of the word
> 'foreign' looking at a
> > > dictionary and see if we can call 'English' a
> foreign language or a
> > > native language.
> > > Next we can take the opinions of the general
> Indian public in India
> > > whether general Indians think English language
> is foreign or not..
> > > Those will be my two starting points.
> > > What do you say?
> > > Barua
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > *From:* Ram Sarangapani <assamrs at gmail.com>
> > > *To:* A Mailing list for people interested in
> Assam from around the
> > > world <assam at assamnet.org>
> > >  *Sent:* Friday, September 28, 2007 7:55 PM
> > > *Subject:* Re: [Assam] Book review : India After
> Gandhi- Bengal
> > > democracy
> > >
> > >
> > > Barua,
> > >
> > > I will let Alpana put forth her own defenses :),
> and just to make it
> > > clear this is not a husband-wife tag team ::)
> > >
> > > >Ram's weak defense as English not being a
> foregn language also falls
> > > >pathetically into the same catagory.
> > >
> > > Why do you think my defense is weak and can you
> cite a few reasons why
> > > English is foreign, and we will go from there.
> > >
> > > --Ram
> > >
> > > On 9/28/07, Rajen & Ajanta Barua
> <barua25 at hotmail.com > wrote:
> > > >
> > > >  A/
> > > > What you are trying to say is this:
> > > > "Although what you are saying seems to be
> true, but I am not going to
> > > > acknowledge it as truth, because if I remember
> you said somthing in the past
> > > > in some other context which I did not like. As
> such without checking your
> > > > past words, I cannot acknowledge it as truth
> although it may be a truth."
> > > >
> > > > In Indian culture we have been taught to stand
> up for the truth
> > > > irrespective of the speaker. You aeem to be
> doing just the opposite.
> > > > It does not matter what I said in the past in
> some other context.
> > > > A truth must acknolwedged as a truth.
> > > > Otherwise we will be always walking on quick
> sands.
> > > > Ram's weak defense as English not being a
> foregn language also falls
> > > > pathetically into the same catagory.
> > > > Barua
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > *From:* Alpana B. Sarangapani
> <absarangapani at hotmail.com>
> 
=== message truncated ===> From: "Ram Sarangapani"
<assamrs at gmail.com>
> To: "A Mailing list for people interested in Assam
> from around the world"
> 	<assam at assamnet.org>
> Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2007 22:54:07 -0600
> Subject: Re: [Assam] Book review : India After
> Gandhi- Bengal democracy
> 
> >BTW I am not looking for an response on this from
> you. I think this is a
> waste of >time even to debate on this issue.
> 
> It truely is a colossal waste. Just to let you know,
> I didn't say what I
> said just because I felt like it, there were very
> valid reasons, and your
> "foreign" comment only triggered it..... and nothing
> more.
> This is a hot topic in India today. If you are
> interested, you might want to
> look into the New York Times articles from yesterday
> (Sept. 28th) and also
> about Mulayam Singh Yadav and his comments.
> 
> Anyway --- I have totally lost interest in the topic
> by now.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> --Ram
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On 9/28/07, Rajen & Ajanta Barua
> <barua25 at hotmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >  Ram:
> > If you insist to know my views:
> > English is a foreign language in India because:
> > 1) It is not rooted in India.
> > 2) There is nothing Indian about it except the
> fact the middle class
> > Indians use it to overcome the difficulty of their
> too many languages.
> > 3) It was never a language in India during the
> last 5000 years of India's
> > history except during the British colonial rule.
> > 4) We even cannot say that we have been using this
> language for 100 years
> > even by the middle class.
> > 5) It can be compared only to Persian language
> which was also at one time
> > imposed as a court language in India during the
> Moghol rules and which is
> > dead in India now.
> > 6) Even today, even after 100 years, it is spoken
> in India by only 1.5% of
> > Indians (quoted from email net - less than 1.5% of
> the population actually
> > have proficiency in it-KC.)
> > 7) Nobody in India, even the majority of middle
> class Indians like you,
> > would consider English as an Indian language.
> >
> > and many more.
> >
> > Indians always need something 'foreign' to rule
> themselves:
> > the Aryans, the Rajputs, the Afghans, the Moghuls,
> the British, and now
> > the English language.
> > BTW I am not looking for an response on this from
> you. I think this is a
> > waste of time even to debate on this issue.
> > Thanks
> > Barua
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > *From:* Ram Sarangapani <assamrs at gmail.com>
> > *To:* A Mailing list for people interested in
> Assam from around the world<assam at assamnet.org>
> >  *Sent:* Friday, September 28, 2007 10:09 PM
> > *Subject:* Re: [Assam] Book review : India After
> Gandhi- Bengal democracy
> >
> >
> > >We can start with a definition of the word
> 'foreign' looking at a
> > dictionary
> >
> > Why look into a dictionary? I think most of us
> know what "foreign" and
> > what "native" means? The dictionary is not going
> to tell me anything
> > different.
> >
> > >and see if we can call 'English' a foreign
> language or a native language.
> >
> > You were the one who claimed it is a "foreign
> language". So, before we put
> > this into a plebicite of sorts, I wanted to know
> why you call it "foreign".
> > I said it is not a foreign language in India, and
> I gave netters a few
> > reasons. There are many more. I hope you will
> provide us some reasons why
> > you claim it is foreign.
> >
> > Once you are able to do that, we can go from
> there.:)
> >
> > --Ram
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On 9/28/07, Rajen & Ajanta Barua
> <barua25 at hotmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > >  We can start with a definition of the word
> 'foreign' looking at a
> > > dictionary and see if we can call 'English' a
> foreign language or a
> > > native language.
> > > Next we can take the opinions of the general
> Indian public in India
> > > whether general Indians think English language
> is foreign or not..
> > > Those will be my two starting points.
> > > What do you say?
> > > Barua
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > *From:* Ram Sarangapani <assamrs at gmail.com>
> > > *To:* A Mailing list for people interested in
> Assam from around the
> > > world <assam at assamnet.org>
> > >  *Sent:* Friday, September 28, 2007 7:55 PM
> > > *Subject:* Re: [Assam] Book review : India After
> Gandhi- Bengal
> > > democracy
> > >
> > >
> > > Barua,
> > >
> > > I will let Alpana put forth her own defenses :),
> and just to make it
> > > clear this is not a husband-wife tag team ::)
> > >
> > > >Ram's weak defense as English not being a
> foregn language also falls
> > > >pathetically into the same catagory.
> > >
> > > Why do you think my defense is weak and can you
> cite a few reasons why
> > > English is foreign, and we will go from there.
> > >
> > > --Ram
> > >
> > > On 9/28/07, Rajen & Ajanta Barua
> <barua25 at hotmail.com > wrote:
> > > >
> > > >  A/
> > > > What you are trying to say is this:
> > > > "Although what you are saying seems to be
> true, but I am not going to
> > > > acknowledge it as truth, because if I remember
> you said somthing in the past
> > > > in some other context which I did not like. As
> such without checking your
> > > > past words, I cannot acknowledge it as truth
> although it may be a truth."
> > > >
> > > > In Indian culture we have been taught to stand
> up for the truth
> > > > irrespective of the speaker. You aeem to be
> doing just the opposite.
> > > > It does not matter what I said in the past in
> some other context.
> > > > A truth must acknolwedged as a truth.
> > > > Otherwise we will be always walking on quick
> sands.
> > > > Ram's weak defense as English not being a
> foregn language also falls
> > > > pathetically into the same catagory.
> > > > Barua
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > *From:* Alpana B. Sarangapani
> <absarangapani at hotmail.com>
> > > > *To:* A Mailing list for people interested in
> Assam from around the
> > > > world <assam at assamnet.org>
> > > >  *Sent:* Friday, September 28, 2007 2:54 PM
> > > > *Subject:* Re: [Assam] Book review : India
> After Gandhi- Bengal
> > > > democracy
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> 
=== message truncated ===> From: "Manoj Das"
<dasmk2k at gmail.com>
> To: "A Mailing list for people interested in Assam
> from around the world"
> 	<assam at assamnet.org>
> Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2007 10:29:25 +0530
> Subject: Re: [Assam] Book review : India After
> Gandhi- Bengal democracy
> 
> :) ramda..cheers!!
> 
> On 9/29/07, Ram Sarangapani <assamrs at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > >BTW I am not looking for an response on this from
> you. I think this is a
> > waste of >time even to debate on this issue.
> >
> > It truely is a colossal waste. Just to let you
> know, I didn't say what I
> > said just because I felt like it, there were very
> valid reasons, and your
> > "foreign" comment only triggered it..... and
> nothing more.
> > This is a hot topic in India today. If you are
> interested, you might want
> > to look into the New York Times articles from
> yesterday (Sept. 28th) and
> > also about Mulayam Singh Yadav and his comments.
> >
> > Anyway --- I have totally lost interest in the
> topic by now.
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > --Ram
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On 9/28/07, Rajen & Ajanta Barua
> <barua25 at hotmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > >  Ram:
> > > If you insist to know my views:
> > > English is a foreign language in India because:
> > > 1) It is not rooted in India.
> > > 2) There is nothing Indian about it except the
> fact the middle class
> > > Indians use it to overcome the difficulty of
> their too many languages.
> > > 3) It was never a language in India during the
> last 5000 years of
> > > India's history except during the British
> colonial rule.
> > > 4) We even cannot say that we have been using
> this language for 100
> > > years even by the middle class.
> > > 5) It can be compared only to Persian language
> which was also at one
> > > time imposed as a court language in India during
> the Moghol rules and which
> > > is dead in India now.
> > > 6) Even today, even after 100 years, it is
> spoken in India by only 1.5%of Indians (quoted from
> email net - less than
> > > 1.5% of the population actually have proficiency
> in it-KC.)
> > > 7) Nobody in India, even the majority of middle
> class Indians like you,
> > > would consider English as an Indian language.
> > >
> > > and many more.
> > >
> > > Indians always need something 'foreign' to rule
> themselves:
> > > the Aryans, the Rajputs, the Afghans, the
> Moghuls, the British, and now
> > > the English language.
> > > BTW I am not looking for an response on this
> from you. I think this is a
> > > waste of time even to debate on this issue.
> > > Thanks
> > > Barua
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > *From:* Ram Sarangapani <assamrs at gmail.com>
> > > *To:* A Mailing list for people interested in
> Assam from around the
> > > world <assam at assamnet.org>
> > >  *Sent:* Friday, September 28, 2007 10:09 PM
> > > *Subject:* Re: [Assam] Book review : India After
> Gandhi- Bengal
> > > democracy
> > >
> > >
> > > >We can start with a definition of the word
> 'foreign' looking at a
> > > dictionary
> > >
> > > Why look into a dictionary? I think most of us
> know what "foreign" and
> > > what "native" means? The dictionary is not going
> to tell me anything
> > > different.
> > >
> > > >and see if we can call 'English' a foreign
> language or a
> > > native language.
> > >
> > > You were the one who claimed it is a "foreign
> language". So, before we
> > > put this into a plebicite of sorts, I wanted to
> know why you call it
> > > "foreign".
> > > I said it is not a foreign language in India,
> and I gave netters a few
> > > reasons. There are many more. I hope you will
> provide us some reasons why
> > > you claim it is foreign.
> > >
> > > Once you are able to do that, we can go from
> there.:)
> > >
> > > --Ram
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On 9/28/07, Rajen & Ajanta Barua
> <barua25 at hotmail.com > wrote:
> > > >
> > > >  We can start with a definition of the word
> 'foreign' looking at a
> > > > dictionary and see if we can call 'English' a
> foreign language or a
> > > > native language.
> > > > Next we can take the opinions of the general
> Indian public in India
> > > > whether general Indians think English language
> is foreign or not..
> > > > Those will be my two starting points.
> > > > What do you say?
> > > > Barua
> > > >
> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > *From:* Ram Sarangapani <assamrs at gmail.com>
> > > > *To:* A Mailing list for people interested in
> Assam from around the
> > > > world <assam at assamnet.org>
> > > >  *Sent:* Friday, September 28, 2007 7:55 PM
> > > > *Subject:* Re: [Assam] Book review : India
> After Gandhi- Bengal
> > > > democracy
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Barua,
> > > >
> > > > I will let Alpana put forth her own defenses
> :), and just to make it
> > > > clear this is not a husband-wife tag team ::)
> > > >
> > > > >Ram's weak defense as English not being a
> foregn language also falls
> > > > >pathetically into the same catagory.
> > > >
> > > > Why do you think my defense is weak and can
> you cite a few reasons why
> > > > English is foreign, and we will go from there.
> > > >
> > > > --Ram
> > > >
> > > > On 9/28/07, Rajen & Ajanta Barua
> <barua25 at hotmail.com > wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > >  A/
> > > > > What you are trying to say is this:
> > > > > "Although what you are saying seems to be
> true, but I am not going
> > > > > to acknowledge it as truth, because if I
> remember you said somthing in the
> > > > > past in some other context which I did not
> like. As such without checking
> > > > > your past words, I cannot acknowledge it as
> truth although it may be
> > > > > a truth."
> > > > >
> > > > > In Indian culture we have been taught to
> stand up for the truth
> > > > > irrespective of the speaker. You aeem to be
> doing just the opposite.
> > > > > It does not matter what I said in the past
> in some other context.
> > > > > A truth must acknolwedged as a truth.
> > > > > Otherwise we will be always walking on quick
> sands.
> > > > > Ram's weak defense as English not being a
> foregn language also falls
> > > > > pathetically into the same catagory.
> > > > > Barua
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > > *From:* Alpana B. Sarangapani
> <absarangapani at hotmail.com>
> 
=== message truncated ===>
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