Please allow me to explain the title. It’s just a keen observation stemming from Chinese Premiere’s visit to Pakistan. The TV Channels were showing the address by Pakistani side addressing the guests, as well as Chinese Premiere’s address to the attendees. The noticeable difference in speech? Pakistani guys all spoke English while the Chinese Premiere spoke in Chinese.
This is not just a one-off. It seems to be a recurring thing. So why is that? Is it some sort of a inferiority complex, or the desire to show that they can actually speak English?
This is an odd phenomenon. Whenever I have heard any other country’s representative speak at a joint meeting, or a state visit, they most often speak their native language with interpreters available. Why are our fellows compelled to make it so everyone in the world can understand what they’re saying without interpreters whether hosting at home, or visiting abroad?
Pakistanis are still psychologically colonised but I guess we should be quite thankful that Brits got to Subcontinent earlier otherwise Zardari would have been speaking Russian or German at that conference.
I have to agree. I think most desi politicians and much of the population is still psychologically held prisoner. The day that we are able to break those chains we might actually accomplish something.
It’s not just politicians. We as a nation are still in that mindset, where speaking English, being more westernized is somehow makes you more “noble” I guess. Pakistanis living abroad have a reason to speak it. However, back home people act like they just don’t know Urdu. Whenever I go back I make it a point to talk to them in Urdu, even if they are talking in English with me.
My English teacher (who was White and only spoke English) in High school told me, that learn all the languages you want in the world but you must never let go off your own language or else you will lose your identity. Makes you think that why do we have a complex in speaking our own language.
I see no harm in speaking English as it is considered the universal language and it also the simplest and easiest languages to learn and communicate in and most of us have been brought up speaking urdu and English (mainly because most of our text books in school are written in English). But what I do have a problem with is that these days you will find that most pakistanis would rather speak in their broken English or try to throw a sentence or two in English during a conversation thinking that its pertinent for their acceptance into a cooler more modern crowd or the burger bacha/parha likha crowd. Urdu is such a beautiful and a graceful language and we should be proud of it and speak it and give it the respect it deserves and not worry about being called too-desi or pandoos just because you are in touch with your true roots.
English and Urdu are 2 official languages of Pakistan. All legal stuff, court proceedings/judgments, and bills passed by the Parliament, etc. are in English. So, what is wrong with talking to foreigners in English?
Err, what is wrong in speaking in English? Its a default language when two people from different countries meet. If anything its the Chinese premier who looks bad at not being able to speak English which is standard in politics and business.
Interpreters don’t work for free.
Khama khwa itni discussion karvaayi 