[Assam] Fwd: Re: assam Digest, Vol 24, Issue 18 (Chan Mahanta)

[Chan Mahanta]

Hi Chitta:

Well, your surprise is a result of your not paying attention to 
context, and perhaps an itch to get even for something that I might 
have said that stung you, by waving the hypocrisy flag :-).


On the matter of context, if you had not noticed YET, I use the   " 
--that damned English language"  sarcasm, tongue-in-cheek ( sometimes 
flummoxing the unwary)  on people who indulge in spinning something 
that is quite obvious  ( as if we don't know the language enough - it 
being a foreign language - to notice )  OR when someone goes off on a 
debate or attack  for clearly not understanding the issue ( sometimes 
due to not having a reasonable knowledge of the language ) OR when 
someone MISUSES English words intentionally in the pursuit of a 
political point OR pretend not understand something that is pretty 
simple or forthright or clear.


As a matter of principle I do not criticize, point out, make fun of 
or otherwise attempt to devalue the SUBSTANCE of an argument on 
account of language proficiency or lack there of. I take a very dim 
view of those who do. People indulge in such tactics only because 
they are unable to challenge or counter a point or offer a better one 
to something that bothers them.


Also, as a matter of principle, I do not ever criticize, make fun of 
or otherwise be judgmental with anyone  for honestly misunderstanding 
something, either due to  language skills or  due to not paying close 
attention or whatever.


There is one exception to the above rules. I am acutely aware of the 
desi-proclivity for looking down on people who do not know or speak 
English well and looking up to those who  do, regardless of 
substance.  That is not an attitude  I subscribe to.  But  still I 
advise Oxomiyas , or other people from our region to learn English 
language well, so that  they can intimidate those Hindians who look 
down on our folks. Because it is such an easy thing to do :-).

m-da








At 11:10 PM -0700 7/8/07, chittaranjan pathak wrote:
>O' Deka:
>
>Buise', bhaxa ( language) is merely a medium of communication ?
>Command over one or the other is NOT a measure of one's intellectual
>abilities, even though 'desis'  don't always realize that: A result
>of centuries of colonial  subjugation.
>
>Mahnata da
>Thats surprising-coming from you. All these months what I have 
>observed is that you are the only one who jumps into criticizing a 
>person's english and then his/her intellect with all those 
>exclamations like "this damned english language" etc .
>Or is it that such criticism is valid for only desis and nor for 
>pardesis and BDeshis?
>
>Regards
>
>Chitta 
>
>
>
>Yahoo! oneSearch: Finally, 
><http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=48252/*http://mobile.yahoo.com/mobileweb/onesearch?refer=1ONXIC>mobile 
>search that gives answers, not web links.
>
>_______________________________________________
>assam mailing list
>assam at assamnet.org
>http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.assamnet.org/pipermail/assam-assamnet.org/attachments/20070709/86470f01/attachment.htm>