P Chidambaram Praises CM Vijay’s Fluency In English

Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay had politically a significant week –back-to-back visits by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and PM Narendra Modi. Communicating in fluent English with Rahul Gandhi (who would not even “posture” in a Tamil identity), then pleasing the PM in both English and Tamil.  The PM at least attempts to please the crowd…Vanakkam Tamizh Nadu, and by now the oft-rehearsed reference to Thiruvalluvar and the Kural. So, what is Vijay’s return gift? Vijay proved that he could be just as comfortable addressing the crowd in English as his Tamil fluency …an attempt to reiterate subtly that TN is firm on its two-language policy, no Hindi agenda.  P Chidambaram was all praise for Vijay’s skill in addressing in English, “His fluent English speech on the states two language policy impressed me. His clear pronunciation of English words made me very happy”. Vijay, the Brown Saab has already learnt leverage. Tamilians are particular that their children learn to converse in the colonial Lingua Franca…they may not be polyglots but in Public if they struggle to converse in English, it is a blow to their self-esteem. Any wonder that Shashi Tharoor is admired as an English walkie- talkie and his esoteric words often send people scurrying for a dictionary? Has the CM Vijay passed the first test of the Congress? Keep the pressure on the BJP that any attempt to impose Hindi is not welcome in TN. But then the BJP uses ingenious ways to bring Hindi and make people learn basics …many a public sector bank’s branch has Biharis, Madhya Pradeshis and UPites in authority. They communicate only in Hindi and the staff are “forced” to learn basics of Hindi.