Wonder what the Majlis chief, Asaduddin Owaisi, wants to learn. No prizes for guessing. He is keen on picking up Telugu. The Hyderabad MP, who did Barrister-at-law (Lincolns Inn), England, regrets not knowing the regional language.
“I don’t know why I have not learnt Telugu all these years”, he says.
Mr. Owaisi, who is in the midst of hectic campaign, is keen on learning the official language of the state at the earliest. He feels it is a big drawback for a politician not knowing the language of the masses. “If I could have articulated in fluent Telugu the way I speak Urdu what impact it would make on the public”, says Mr. Owaisi who is planning to make forays in Seemandhra.
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The ‘Naqeeb-e-Millat’ as he is fondly called, did some loud thinking the other day during a break from his hectic electioneering. “It is not that I do not know Telugu. I understand it but am unable to speak”, admits Mr. Owaisi.
Talk to a man in a language he understands, it goes to his head. Talk to him in his own language and it goes to his heart. The Majlis leader knows this pretty well. “Language is the best way of bridging the gaps and dispelling doubts”, he remarks.
No, not for him is just a smattering of Telugu. He wants to have a thorough grip on the language. Mr. Owaisi doesn’t like to go for self-learning materials. He prefers to take the service of a Telugu pundit to learn the language properly.
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It sure pays to be multilingual, particularly in politics. Once the heat and dust of elections settles, the first thing on Mr. Owais’s agenda is learning Telugu.