Defending the Minister's English

Free Thinker *

Let us not underestimate or sensationalize any communication in any language. Are you a native speaker of the English language? Can you speak English flawlessly? Don't you commit mistakes or blunders while writing or speaking in a foreign language? Then, why are you making fun of our Minister's spoken English? It is very strange; people are knowingly or unknowingly popularizing him like anything.

The Minister said ( deciphered), " My political journey ( already ) started when I was elected in 1995, as a Congress Party candidate; and I was made a minister under the leadership of Hon. Chief Minister Shri. W. Nipamacha Singh ; I was Education Minister then. After 2000, once again I was elected from Lamsang Assembly Constituency and became Agriculture minister.

After 2005, I was inducted as the Sports minister under the Leadership of Radhabinod Koijam. Now, I am again elected in 2017 in the State Assembly ; yes in the 11th State Assembly from Lamsang Assembly Constituency.

Once again I have become minister of Education, CADA, and Fisheries under the leadership of Hon. Chief Minister Shri N. Biren Singh. Okay, education is the most important department as it will pull off the next generation to make a good future of the State.

For that, Education plays the most important part. Our education department remained defunct; students were not enrolled properly in the last 15 years of Congress government. Then, in Manipur, when our Govt. took over Hon. CM Shri Biren Singh took the decision of 'School Fagathansi Mission' in the year 2019; under this, some school buildings are (already) constructed and major repairing and renovation works are also done in almost all the schools.

Under this Mission we not only paid attention to infrastructure but also initiated the task of moving from black board to white board and encouraged the use of markers. After these changes, guardians in Manipur and the students at large believe in the Government system. We find a manifold increase in the enrolment; I think, there is 50 – 70 % increase at the enrolment stage of the government schools.

And we give permission to conduct on-line classes, at the time of Covid pandemic. Our government under the leadership of Hon. The Chief Minister is on mission mode for on-line classes. Help from Hon. Chief Minister is already extended to all government college students below poverty line by providing smartphones." He spoke in a haphazard, fussy and repetitive manner but understandable.

When Japanese come here to pay their tributes to their fathers or forefathers or relatives who had died in Manipur during "Japan-Lan" (2nd World War) , most of them can't not speak English. Frankly speaking, our minister's English is much better than theirs.

Again, you will be surprised to know the fact that those international Polo players who keep coming for taking part in our International Polo Tournament can't speak English as many of them are from non-English-speaking countries. While speaking in English they really f*ck the language. Get it confirmed from Oja Priyo , Mr Dileep and other organizers .

After all, what is the purpose of language? We all will agree – it is for communication. If we can communicate via any means, that is language. We are well aware of sign language, verbal language, visual language, eyes languages and all other non-vernal languages.

Ultimately the purpose is to communicate – to understand one another. Again, Telepathy has its way to communicate, but let us not go that far.

In the viral-video, the Minister was making his points confidently in English. The interviewer or the anchor perhaps could understand what he was uttering. I strongly believe that all English knowing citizens might have understood what the minister had said. If they didn't, that is their problem.

There are very few settlements in the world where people use to communicate through the sound of whistling. Kongthong village in Meghalaya is also one of them. The village is also known as the Whistling village.

The village has a very old tradition or practice of calling wherein a mother calls her child with a peculiar tune of whistling. Kongthong village is now very popular among tourists. The population of the village of Kongthong is less than one thousand. Again, the residents of Kuskoy in Israel on the Black Sea coast still communicate by whistling. And Eskimos too communicate with whistles.

When the Russian President speaks in awkward English, you don't understand. That is your problem, not the problem of the speaker. The actual problem lies with the listeners; they will miss out something. The best thing we can learn from this episode is that if you can comprehend the communication better than others you are the privileged one.

If you understand and communicate within the 'dark net' and 'hackers club' – you will be considered as a genius and highly intelligent. The one who can communicate more and comprehend more has the added advantage everywhere. If you don't understand your Minister's interview, that is your problem, not his.

If Miss Universe says in Punjabi to come tonight and you can't get it, who is the loser?