The frills that get deleted in translation

During the colonial days, at least a minor section of people had been living in feudal language nations, and seeing for themselves the fact that there is something dangerously different in these social systems. Now, the information that gets passed through is a much filtered one. All information for which some standard English words can be found will pass through. However, when English words are used, a lot of frills attachments get removed.

For instance, see this word Gauravam in Malayalam. It is translated as Serious. However, the meaning in English has lost a tremendous amount of frill feelings, emotions and power in the first word. The first word actually can have a very dangerous level of brutality in it. How can one explain it in English? Well, that is the tragedy of current-day English nations. They live in a very secluded world, from where the picture of the outside world comes in the form of rosy English words. It is a very dangerous misunderstanding.

To explain the word Gauravam, I need to say that if one says that a police officer is a person with Gauravam, it does not mean that he is a serious man as understood in English. It means that he is a very tough guy, with a stony demeanour, and may even have a very beastly side to him. A person who could be quite unreasonable in his words, gestures and actions. One may get a thundering slap from him quite easily.

Oscar Wilde used the word Artist. However, when a Malayalam film personality says ‘I am an artist’, the mental picture of the artist that arises is not what Oscar Wilde would have envisaged in his mind. The different persons in the mental images would differ as Red would differ from Blue.

{I deliberately did not use the words Black and White, for it can easily be identified with racial feelings. Actually it is a terrible thing that I can’t use standard English words without the American social problems being imputed. Once in a book I had used the word gay to define a personage’s individuality. The criticism was that this word should not be used. For, the Americans have given mileage to a different meaning and such a word should not be connected to this personage. When I call my cat Pussy, the slang meaning come to haunt it. Nowadays ‘Americans’ does not mean English-speakers, but rank outsiders who are there to spoil English systems and language. Oh, what have they done to a fine English nation, which was created by native-English speakers?]

Now coming back to the Wikipedia Ezhava Talk Page. I had the experience of being hammered by the pro-Ezhavas. I did not write much eulogising things about the Thiyyas also. So there were complaints on this regard also. Now, in desperation I simply wrote that it is not wise to write self-eulogising things in an international encyclopaedia. I admitted that people do get disturbed if any information that is correct, but not liked gets written. I simply mentioned the issue of the Nairs.

Well, that set me on another attack. There were many. I cannot divulge the contents here. For, it may really provoke a caste war out here in Kerala.   

The real basis of racism

One can understand the terrible pain that had been caused by a mere mention that the Nairs have a slight link to another group of ‘Indians’. Well, the spite has been seen and felt. Now, this same theme can be extended to that of racism in English nations. ‘Indians’ cannot bear to be identified with other ‘Indians’. Such is the repulsion they feel for other ‘Indians’. If this be the case, cannot a bit of repulsion by the native-English folks also be condoned? I say this specifically for there have been many cases of many native-English citizens spending time in jail for using so-called racist words to ‘Indians’ and others. Well, what English nations have to bear in mind is that there is some level of mutual repulsion among the various Asian, African, and South American as well as certain European persons. It is felt by they themselves. If this be a reality, it is not a crime if a native-English man also feels the same. What they say among themselves cannot be understood by English speakers. Yet, what English speakers mention is clearly comprehensible by others. That is also a tragedy.

It is like my Pen name VED from VICTORIA INSTITUTIONS being barred by Facebook and also by Google. Google recently allowed it. The issue was with the word INSTITUTIONS. It has a commercial connotation, it seems. Yet, if one man may give his user name as Shoba Jaulikkada, no one would object. Yet, the word Jaulikkada means ‘textile shop’. In effect it means, Shobha Textile Shop. Now in current day English nations, all verbal racial misdemeanours are perfectly punishable only if they are in English. Otherwise, there is no problem. For example, when the profanity addressed to me came up on Wikipedia pages, there was no talk about barring those users. Yet, when I wrote very decent ideas, I have to apologise. And that too, to Indian administrators. The problem is that I have enough and more experience with ‘Indian’ administrators in the various government offices of India. I would not like to stand in any position of obeisance to them, if I can help it.