LANGUAGE NO BAR

I had studied in a convent, where the medium of instruction was English. English was my favorite subject, and I applied myself at learning it well. I used to read a lot of Novels by different Authors, and tried to use catchy phrases from these books in my routine conversations.

I seized each opportunity to improve my communication skills, in English. Though my Mother tongue was Tamil, I did not have it as my language in school. My love for English grew to such an extent that I considered all other languages less. So it was natural that all my friends were English speaking.

In fact one of my neighbors had commented that I was arrogant and condescending towards the speakers of other languages.

It was 1977. I had finished my graduation in economics and had joined a Biscuit Company as a representative. My posting was at Salem, which was a district dominated by Tamilians. There all were fluent in tamil, it being the mother tongue and very few could speak other languages.

It was my first day at work. I was taken around to some of the leading outlets by the distributor sales person.

My first outlet was Ajantha bakery. I was warmly received by the  owner and his sons, all of whom smelt of  a mixture of sweat and  freshly baked bread. With affection, they enquired about my past, and gave me a large portion of mouth watering cake and a cool milk shake, all the while speaking in courteous tamil.

It was the beginning of many such episodes of affection, from all the outlets across the different parts of the district. Warmth, genuineness, affection were in plenty with the tamil speaking lot.

Two years rolled by and slowly I spoke more in tamil than in English. Each day I discovered that the language we speak is of no importance, compared to the love and affection that speaks from the heart. When the heart speaks it communicates - It does not need a language. Love transcends all barriers.

Language is a means to communicate. That is all. It does not matter which language you choose.