AFI’s tweet on Hima Das is the reflection of colonial mindset.
Hima Das wins Gold Medal in Women’s 400m event at IAAF World U-20 Athletics Championship. The tears of joy roll down her cheeks while singing the National Anthem.
Despite being born in a poor family in Assam, her immense dedication and years of hard work finally paid off when she scripted the history and brought laurels to our country. The entire nation gets over the moon and sends her congratulatory messages for making India proud at international level.
But amidst all of this, what is very bizarre and shocking is a tweet Athletics Federation of India (AFI) saying that Hima Das did well there too despite not being so fluent in English. Though AFI issued an apology after receiving public outrage, yet such statements are the clear testament to the fact that many people judge an Individual’s worth and calibre his/her English speaking skills.
Instead of glorifying Hima Das on the track, it’s very saddening to see that her ability to speak in English despite not being so fluent is being portrayed as her strength. Especially at such a platform, where the issue of language shouldn’t have been a topic of debate at all. After all, English is just a medium of communication.
Currently, I am pursuing B.A(H) Political science from Satyawati College, Delhi University.
I like public speaking, writing and reading in my leisure.
