Revanth Reddy’s ‘Engillpiece’ remark draws flak from Osmania University academicians

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s mockery of English as “Engillpiece” during an event at Osmania University sparked criticism from academicians, who said English is essential for research, teaching and jobs in a globalised economy and should not be dismissed lightly

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy sparked a controversy by mocking English as “Engillpiece”, which did not go down well with academicians, who pointed out that English language skills might not be required for governance but were essential for research, publication and jobs in a globalised economy.

Addressing a meeting on the Osmania University campus on Wednesday, Revanth Reddy argued that countries like Germany, Japan and China do not know “Engillpiece” but are ruling the world.

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Without naming the BRS for its criticism of his command of the English language, Revanth Reddy said, “They think I do not know ‘Engillpiece’. Germany, Japan and China do not know ‘Engillpiece’ but those countries are ruling the world. At least we can write alphabets but they do not even know that. An English-speaking America will not survive even for an hour if China stops its supply to the US.”

The Chief Minister went on to tell the audience, which consisted of students, teachers and non-teaching staff, “Am I not governing the State for the last two years? If needed, I can hire 10 people who can speak in English.”

These remarks raised eyebrows among university teachers, who pointed out the inconsistency between the Chief Minister’s rhetoric and the English medium education offered in all government schools across the State.

University teachers noted that the Chief Minister should have encouraged students to learn and become proficient in the English language rather than making such incongruous remarks. They also observed that Germany, Japan and China have only one national language, unlike India where several languages exist.

A senior in-service professor at OU, who requested anonymity, said the Chief Minister should not have waded into the language debate on the campus. “In this globalised economy, English communication skills are key for securing a job. Students will lag behind if they lack English language skills. Governance can be done without the language skill but it is not the case for teaching, research and employment,” he said.

A former OU senior professor, who did not want to be quoted, said English should be learned as a library language since most research and reference books are in English. “Not learning the English language will be a huge setback for students. Mother tongue should be encouraged but at the same time English has to be learned,” he added.