When Mamata Di regaled investors with her Banglish

“May I ask you, what is your problem? Will you invest the money in Bengal? What is the problem?

May I just ask my embassy? Japan embassy? Do you have any problem? Japan, do you want to invest money in Bengal? Yes? My China friends? I think they are here. USA? Are you interested or not? UK? My German friends? Are my Bangladesh friends here (why, haven't they been invited?) ITC? Interested? Thank you so much. Mr Jindal? Mr Goenka. How many of you are from the small scale industry, do raise your hands.”

Yes. This is the speech delivered during the recently held ‘Bengal Leads-2012’, by none other than our Didi-moni, the chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee. The CM who represents 1.22 million people of Bengal, left the state and its people agog. The culturally proud Bengalis were ashamed at their Didi’s poor command over English and her knowledge of geography. For her, “Bangladesh is on the border of Pakistan.” And, mind you, she was speaking at a forum represented by business honchos both from within the country and abroad.  

English is definitely a politically neutral language that unites people from diverse ethnic groups, cultures and countries. A good command over English offers politicians an edge or a tool to collaborate and send across the message in a clear tone to his/her counterparts elsewhere who perhaps, may not necessarily be from the same community. This universal language apart from cementing the bond between various politicians and ethnic groups from different backgrounds, has helped countries and states grow socially and economically. Having said this, one shouldn’t shy from speaking one’s mother tongue.

 And, in the case of Mamata, her speech during the Ficci-sponsored business gathering, could have done wonders, had she spoken in Bengali—her mother tongue. As Prof Kamal Mitra Chenoy, of centre for comparative politics and political theory, school of international studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, said: “It’s wise to speak in a state language and also in the language in which she’s comfortable, but more important is the content.” Prof Chenoy strongly maintains that, had the new CM of West Bengal, spoken in Bengali, she would’ve created a stir in reconstructing the state ruled by the Left Front for over three decades, and the impact would have been more on the aam janta. “More than anything, the message during that summit was to the Ficci,” he rued.

Preference for native language

For that matter, the former chief minister of Tamil Nadu, M Karunanidhi, though eloquent in English, always prefers to speak in his native language—Tamil. A little further, if we look at some of the world leaders like the former Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev or the French president Nicolas Sarkozy, hardly have we heard them speak in English. Rather, they have led the world in many instances, just by putting across the message in the language they are most comfortable with. Of course, they have their very reliable and efficient interpreters who translate their speeches into English for the world to know and understand. Would it not have been wise for Mamata also, who claims to have earned a PhD from a university in east Georgia and a Master’s from the University of Calcutta, followed by an LLB from Jogesh Chandra Choudhury of Law, to at least hire an English translator, just for that day? Is there a dearth of English translators in Kolkata?    

Sample this—another example of her unconventional way—flexing her ‘sporting yet businessman spirit: “I do the bat directly. I don’t play the bat only just like a match fixing. If I want to do the things, I will do it. If I bowl, I will (be) bowled out for this and if I am ready to do the batting I will (be) batting for the people, batting for industry and agriculture also.” Is it necessary for everyone to speak in English? The Trinamool Congress leader’s obsession for Bengal’s most famous son Rabindranath Tagore isn’t new and it could have swayed the audience, and promoted the ailing state of West Bengal in a better way in her most-polished Bengali.

 Isn’t it important, Ms chief minister, to determine your audience and communicate with them in the most effective and lucid way? If a country elects a president who doesn’t speak English, it doesn’t mean that they’ve made a wrong choice. In fact, Mandarin is spoken by more people than English. Does this mean that every president should be able to speak in Mandarin? 

However, activist Shabnam Hashmi said that there was nothing wrong with Mamata speaking in ‘broken English,’ “but it would have been more effective had she spoken in the language which she’s more comfortable with.”

Last but not the least, many argue and suspect her ability, and whether she’ll be able to fulfil the promises that she had made during the time of the Assembly elections last year. They regret voting for the Trinamool Congress, and making her the new leader of the state. With the dwindling state of affairs in Bengal, especially with regard to health and education, will the Didi be able to make Kolkata as prosperous as London, and Darjeeling, the Switzerland of the east?

She must stop being erratic and hire some good advisors if people were not to lose faith in her and her leadership.