Indian Political Corner | All Updates & Discussions.

[nair]

Urdu alphabets are similar to Arabic but yes when spoken its just like hindi...though some urdu words are just too tough to understand. I am sure you knew that.
Most of the time I am left staring at a Pakistani's face with blank expressions when they speak in pure urdu (it happens when they would have guessed my nationality wrong )
But the funniest part is when I get the same reaction back for some words in hindi.


Think before you speak would help..next time.

Well I couldn't differentiate between urudu and arbi when i used see them on those black boards in my school days.... I lived in Mysore for some time, and they use a peculiar slang (they say it is mixed with urudu) but i used to find it funny.....(some one from mysore can confirm it)

 

[Butchcassidy]

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it appears, has taken a call to hold his diplomatic conversations in Hindi, with interpreters being deployed in almost all his meetings, including those where the dignitary on the other side speaks in English.

While Modi is quite conversant in English given that many New Delhi-based diplomats have met him and never found language to be an impediment, sources said he seems to have decided to stick to the national language in his interactions. That he is reasonably comfortable with the English language is clear by the fact that interpreters are not required to translate from English to Hindi.

For instance, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa spoke in English during his bilateral meeting with Modi and at no stage did the PM require the interpreter’s assistance to understand what the Lankan President was saying. However, his responses were always in Hindi for which the services of the interpreter were used. In fact, he followed the same protocol with the Special Envoy of the Sultan of Oman, who spoke in English.

But with those who spoke Hindi or Urdu, the interpreter was not required, like the one-on-one with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. In fact, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, who has studied in India, also spoke in Urdu with some Hindi words and so a translator was not needed.

In many ways, Modi may have followed in the footsteps of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the last BJP Prime Minister, who would make it a point to speak in Hindi during bilateral meetings with those who spoke in their national language. But to those who spoke in English, Vajpayee would also speak in English, with the odd assistance required if the accent of the foreign interlocutor was difficult to pick. Here too, his staff would come to his aid and interpreters were not needed.

On this score, his meetings with Russian leaders are best remembered. There would be two interpreters and the one on the Russian side would usually be more than perfect in his translation to Hindi with such proper usage that many on the Indian side would be stumped. Then the Indian interpreter would separately translate Vajpayee’s message into Russian. As External Affairs Minister in the Janata Party government, he spoke in Hindi at the UN.

While it’s not clear yet, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is considering following the Vajpayee model. So far, all her meetings have been in English but she is planning to take a call ahead of the Chinese Foreign Minister’s visit starting Sunday.

Among former PMs, Chandrashekhar would want to give his speeches in Hindi but did manage with English during bilateral meetings. But if this trend continues, Modi will clearly be the first Indian PM who would have chosen to speak in Hindi at all times, much closer to what leaders of countries like Russia and China have followed.


Giving our national language the respect it deserves…I love this guy.

No one cares in which language he speaks as long as he does good work for the country.

 

[scorpionx]

I do not understand what is so much fuss about this for? If there was a Tamil prime minister who is not so fluent in English would have chosen his/her own mother tongue and a good interpreter to communicate with foreign delegates. I find it quite disturbing that everything related to Modi makes a headline today. What next? Why gajar kaa halwa on his platter tonight?

 

[Levina]

Well I couldn't differentiate between urudu and arbi when i used see them on those black boards in my school days....

Now that i am learning arabic (i can only read and write but not understand it much) I think I can differentiate between urdu and arabic words.

I lived in Mysore for some time, and they use a peculiar slang (they say it is mixed with urudu) but i used to find it funny.....(some one from mysore can confirm it)

Lolzz
I had a friend from Mysore and her hindi was a little different or may be it was just her accent.I attributed that to her south Indian upbringing.Even Hyderabadis have a cute way of speaking hindi.

I do not understand what is so much fuss about this for? If there was a Tamil prime minister who is not so fluent in English would have chosen his/her own mother tongue and a good interpreter to communicate with foreign delegates. I find it quite disturbing that everything related to Modi makes a headline today. What next? Why gajar kaa halwa on his platter tonight?

The last line reminds me of Abhishek and Ash's marriage when every single detail made it to the headlines.
I guess Modi's PR team is working over time.

 

[scorpionx]

The last line reminds me of Abhishek and Ash's marriage when every single detail made it to the headlines.
I guess Modi's PR team is working over time.

His PR team should understand that it's time to take some rest and let their leader to work in silence. Too many eyes on his office will create unwanted expectations,failures,disappointments and anger which may ultimately affect him and his government.

Yuss gr8 move

namo namo

That actually sounds funny.

 

[nair]

Now that i am learning arabic (i can only read and write but not understand it much) I think I can differentiate between urdu and arabic words.


Lolzz
I had a friend from Mysore and her hindi was a little different or may be it was just her accent.I attributed that to her south Indian upbringing.Even Hyderabadis have a cute way of speaking hindi.

The last line reminds me of Abhishek and Ash's marriage when every single detail made it to the headlines.
I guess Modi's PR team is working over time.

The only alphabet i know in Arabi is "Alif" Lolz.......

Yes the mysore slang is very close to that of Hyderabad.........

His PR team should understand that it's time to take some rest and let their leader to work in silence. Too many eyes on his office will create unwanted expectations,failures,disappointments and anger which may ultimately affect him and his government.
.

May be the Hang over is still there.....

 

[Soumitra]

Good to see him building ties with all important countries

 

[Levina]

Thawing relations with Modi may or may not help in thawing India-US relationship so easily.
In last one year India- US ties touched rock bottom, US is still a bit touchy about India's support to Russia.
But now that Russia is making "new friends" in the region (ahem ahem our neighbors across the border I meant) so India too must keep its options open.

 

[Spring Onion]

South Indians, particularly tamils, prevent Hindi from being used as the national language. Every other state accepts Hindi, but not them.

They say their language has a stronger history than hindi and their language is very rich which is true

 

[Dandpatta]

BTW - @Chinese-Dragon - your interest in this thread (and many other Indian threads). Hmmm... let me guess!!! You have an Indian gal?

They say their language has a stronger history than hindi and their language is very rich which is true

Yaara, why add fuel to the fire? Abb buss karo.. nahin to taxi se bhijwaoonga !

 

[Arya Desa]

They say their language has a stronger history than hindi and their language is very rich which is true

Yet you speak urdu, which is a pseudonym for Hindi.

 

[Spring Onion]

Yaara, why add fuel to the fire? Abb buss karo.. nahin to taxi se bhijwaoonga !

.


Seriously i have respect for rich Tamil language . i did not comment on Mod's action as i believe not speaking in English is NOT a shame. Its just a foreign language and if we are not comfortable in it then why should we be ashamed after all they cant speak our languages so fluently

 

[sms]

I can speak fluent Tamil, I can speak Kannada... But telugu Nope (can understand little bit)

My School (Govt.) offered choices between Sanskrit, Urdu, Punjabi, Telugu - I chose Telugu

 

[Spring Onion]

Yet you speak urdu, which is a pseudonym for Hindi.

Urdu is a beautiful language. has this beautiful flexibility to adopt and embrace words from other languages

and yes i am really desirous of learning Tamil

 

[LeveragedBuyout]

NEW DELHI: In what is probably the most significant foreign policy decision taken since he became Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has confirmed to US President Barack Obama that he will have a bilateral meeting with him in Washington in the last week of September this year.

Obama had invited Modi to the US when he called up the PM to congratulate him. Significantly, the meeting won't happen on the sidelines of the United Nations general assembly in New York but in the form of a full-fledged bilateral summit in Washington.

The two sides are finalizing the date for the meeting which will be in the last week of September, TOI has learnt. The Modi-Obama summit promises to be one of the foremost international events of the year and will overshadow Modi's presence at UNGA, if he decides to go to New York too.

In taking the decision, Modi has shown that his own predilections, if any, won't come in the way of ties with the US.

He has, in fact, acted with alacrity and decisiveness on what many believe is going to be one of the biggest immediate challenges for India's foreign policy — that of mending India-US ties which had tapered off under UPA-2 and then nosedived with l'affaire Khobragade.

Modi's decision underlines the significance of the US in India's strategic matrix. There was speculation that Modi could focus more on China and South Korea for economic gains and on an improved security partnership with Japan but these are not likely to come at the expense of Washington.

Modi was thought to be inadequately equipped to mend India-US ties because — as some reckoned — he could find it difficult to come to terms with the US hostility towards him after the 2002 Gujarat riots, and the resultant revocation of his US visa. He remained the only person to be barred from traveling to the US for many years under the country's controversial International Religious Freedom Act.

While the UK and EU were quick off the blocks in reaching out to Modi, US was late in responding, but once it did in the form of a meeting former US ambassador Nancy Powell sought with him, Modi has been generous in his response.

In an interview to TOI, before he took over as PM, Modi had said that relations between the two countries cannot be allowed to be "even remotely" influenced by incidents related to individuals.

Describing the US as a natural ally, he said it was in the interest of both countries to further develop the relationship.

Modi's decision to confirm the Obama bilateral is also the second big surprise he has sprung on his detractors who thought he would be straightjacketed by his own election campaign, and the baggage he was supposed to have come with on relations with the US.

Despite Pakistan featuring in his speeches, and his admonition of UPA for its 'biryani' diplomacy, Modi successfully invited Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif for his swearing in.


Narendra Modi, Barack Obama will meet in Washington in September - The Times of India

Modi was unfortunate collateral in Bush's attempt to bend over backwards to show that he wasn't anti-Muslim in the wake of Afghanistan and Iraq. Now that the Obama administration has no choice but to deal with Modi, I do hope the relationship improves. That said, the coming Republican wave in November's elections should help immensely, and I expect the improvement in relations will accelerate dramatically if a Republican wins the White House in 2016. Let's hope for a Democratic Party wipe-out to ensure this outcome.