Prologue
When growing up in a small city, studying in English medium schools was and still is a matter of prestige for many parents and this wasn’t an exception for my folks as well! The result of this was me getting admitted in a school. Oops! Let me rephrase it, “I finally got admitted in an English medium school!”
At school, after years and years of listening, repeating and practising (only when teachers were around), I was able to speak in English and the objective of delivering my messages or thoughts for that matter to the concerned person, was an issue no more. In the process though, I had a word, a companion to sound cool while speaking and this word or companion was the word “man”. This companion of mine followed after every sentence or question. Let me tell you how; a simple sentence like, “I play cricket” or an easy question like, “What do you watch on TV?” would end up with the word “man”! Are you getting me man??? Apart from that, my English was also heavily tuned into a Maharashtrian accent. I still haven’t been able to figure out how exactly it was that I became friends with this word! I guess, I got it from my fellow students or may be from a Hollywood movie and then the rest followed. For all my school years “man” never left me and was an integral part of my English speaking. Mah man!!!
Later on when I moved to Pune for further education, my peculiar word found its replacement in the word “bro”. Sounds cooler than “man”, doesn’t it? So, I started using the word “bro” everywhere, until a girl, whom I had a huge crush on in my college, used it to describe me! The sentence, “He’s like mah bro.” still haunts me. “No more bro man!” Jokes apart! Coming back on track, the words “man” and “bro” were my language companions for many years. Why did I remember them all of a sudden??? It was because of a poem! Yes, you got me right, a poem!
This poem was ‘Goodbye Party For Miss Pushpa T. S’ composed by Nissim Ezekiel, one of the many prominent Indian writers in English. When I came across this poem for the first time I was an undergrad student, appreciating the beauty and studying the intricacies of English language. Nissim Ezekiel, in this poem mocks the way in which we, Indians, speak in English. The poem has words, phrases and sentences translated literally from an Indian language or languages into English. In other words, it flouts the norms and the rules of the ways in which one should speak English appropriately. This is what makes the poem a quirky read.
The moment this poem was read out by my teacher in the poetry class, my forgotten language companions “man” and “bro” were resurrected from the language ashes of my past! After this flashback, for some good amount of time, I wondered about the usage of English and the way it differed or differs from person to person, people to people, city to city and state to state in India and this just puzzled me like anything. That day, I committed to myself about writing Miss Pushpa’s summing up using absolute Indianism in English. They say it’s never too late! So here I am, after 9 years, finally ready with the summing up, with no intentions of hurting any sentiments and just for fun.
Epilogue
Disclaimer:
People! Before you read this summing up, make sure that you do read the original piece of work ‘Goodbye Party For Miss Pushpa T. S’ by Nissim Ezekiel. You could click on the given link to read it.
Read it already??? Well then, have fun with the taste of Indianism in English. Happy reading!!!
The Summing Up
Thank you my lovely brother
your kind words are too much!
Standing on this stage
I am crying almost like anything now.
I am going after two three days
but my legs are not moving only.
You said about my sweetness and smiles
remember they are for all you only always.
My family is belonging to big people and my Pappa always told me
to sweet talk with all.
Great man my Pappa was
fighting in court in Surat.
Coming back to my popularity again
All men and women are liking me only.
because I am never saying no to nobody
More more love I only get.
I am feeling now very very heavy
All these big big and small small things
I will be remembering.
Heartiest thanks for your wishings!
-Punit Nitin Kawathekar
Faculty, ELTIS