KOCHI: Today many parents find it a matter of great pride to have their kids singing English rhymes compared to the ones in their mother-tongue. Many parents who had found themselves in a difficult situation due to their lack of fluency in English make it a point to train their children well in the Queen’s language.
In the case of Darshana, the only daughter of a Non-Resident Keralite couple, who grew up mostly in the northern part of the country, English has been the only means of communication. It was the only language she spoke. The reason: Her father had faced problems in his career since he wasn’t fluent in English. He was adamant his child should only speak English and hence, achieve fluency in the language. And she didn’t disappoint her father.
There are many families like Darshana’s. The number of English speaking families is gradually increasing in the state. According to experts, the rise in their numbers among the middle-class families is mostly due to their inherent need to show off. “To be able to converse in English fluently has become a status symbol among them,” said experts.Schools too encourage students to converse in English while on campus. Renuka daughter of a doctor couple speaks good English. For as long as they can remember, her parents said she has been talking to them in English.
“In her school, English is mandatory. If by chance anyone speaks in Malayalam, the class monitor has been asked to report the student to the teacher. Teacher makes the student to pay a fine,” said Renuka’s father. Fine amount varies from school to school.However, according to Renuka, who grew up in an Indo- Anglian household, English alone won’t help one survive in the big wide world.
How did the word Indo-Anglian come into being?
The term was used by Sajith Pai in his article in the Scroll recently to classify this particular group of people. However, the origin of the term Indo-Anglian dates way back to the beginning of the post-colonial literature in India.
“This group has been slowly growing in Kerala society. To a great extent, the Christians in Kerala come under this category. Syrian Catholics, Jacobites, Orthodox,CSI, Marthoma and Evangelical churches are all part of this group. In some churches, they have liturgy in English and the language has become a part of their households too,” said Cyril Mathew, assistant professor, School of Tourism and Researcher in Linguistics, Culture and Translation.
He said, then there is the second generation NRIs. People who were brought up outside Kerala. “The first generation might have been speaking an amalgamation of both Malayalam and English. But, the second generation NRIs who have been educated in top schools have impeccable language. They talk English in their houses,” he said. According to him, even the upper caste Hindus, who fall in the middle class and above category, also see English as a symbol of status. “However, there are people who believe in English education and do not think of it as a status symbol,” he added.
“Let’s take the case of literature. If one expresses his opinions in Malayalam, not many might actually even read it. It is not considered a valid or expert opinion by people if it’s written in Malayalam. So it is natural for people to go for the language which lets their ideas be heard.English has come to be ‘the language’ when it comes to career prospects too,” he said.
Indo-Anglian marriage
The most interesting aspect in this group is the inter-religion and inter-caste marriages. “If one is an upper caste Christian and the other is an upper caste Hindu, the marriage gets a wholehearted blessing. A Syrian Catholic and a Menon easily gets permission to get hitched after the initial hullabaloo. However, if a Nair wants to marry an Ezhava, all the hell might break loose,” said Cyril Mathew, assistant professor, School of Tourism and Researcher in Linguistics, Culture and Translation
Malayalam relegated as the second language
“In Kerala, Malayalam is still a second language. While it is important to speak English, knowing one’s own language is also as important. We are bringing up a generation who have no respect for their mother tongue and find speaking it disgraceful. The vestiges of colonial rule still remain. Even kindergarten now teach kids English rhymes and alphabets first. It is not at all surprising the group of English speakers is expanding. The ghosts of colonisation still remain. However, English speaking has its own advantages,” said Anila Nair, a researcher in socio-cultural developments.