Shravani V

Bangalore, India

Legacy of the British

Centuries ago, when English traders set foot on Mainland India, English was introduced to the indigenous people. Today, even long after the departure of the British from India, English continues to be the most important language used to communicate in schools, government offices and workplaces. The language is seen as a status of superiority. Growing up in India, I have witnessed people being mocked at or discriminated against for not being comfortable communicating in English, or if they preferred any vernacular language. This might not look like a major issue at first glance, but people who have impactful statements usually face a setback due to their low proficiency in English.

When I started my journey as a Melton Fellow, I felt amazed by the warmth people had to offer. I was exposed to a different perspective. It didn’t matter here if somebody missed a “the” or a “what”. The environment preferred the depth of the content, rather than the brilliancy of English. This was the seed to one of my greatest learnings at Melton: It’s good to be fluent in English, but we shouldn’t ever forget that language is nothing but a medium for the flow of thoughts.