My father had a cousin. Everyone called him KPN. He was very witty. He came to our house to chit-chat with father practically every day. He was giving home tuition to students who were weak in English and after the tuitions on his way back he used to come to our house which was on his way, have a cup of tea, a cud of betal and tobacco and spend an hour or so chatting with father. They talked on everything under the sun. Quite often he talked of olden times, that is their youths and such, we used to be with them listening to their talks of those times.
Once he told of the ending period of the World War II. Now in Kerala there are many Tamil Brahmins settled. We called the 'pattars' which could have been the polluted form of 'BHATTAR' just meaning a brahmin of learning. The aim of every bhattar was to send his son after he completes Matric to a typewriting institute to learn typewriting and short-hand and after completing the course directly ship to Bombay, Delhi, Calcutta or Madras where his mama or chitappa or some friend will be working, in all probability as a PA to someone. There were a steady demand for good stenographers in those cities and Kerala Bhattars could keep the supply line without any interruption. Bhattars were the best for the job. Needless to say the language was English.
As told it was the penultimate stage of WW II. Japan was coming nearer and nearer. They had ran over Malay States. The British troops could not hold. They were retreating. It looked that in a short time Japan will be over running India and the English will be eclipsed. Along with English the English language also will be eclipsed. Then the language will be Japanese.
One Bhattar got very worried. His son was in the Matric class. The examinations were due in two or three months. He had already talked to one institute master of putting his son there. But what is the use! The institute taught stenography and typewriting only for English. What is the use of learning English stenography. What will be required is Japanese stenography. The worried Bhattar asked everyone he knew whether anyone taught Japanese stenography and could not find anyone.
Luckily no untoward things happened. US entered and Japan went back. And English, both people and language remained. Bhattar boy studied stenography went to Delhi where his maternal uncle was there got employment and lived happily there after.
Had it been now and instead of Japan it was China the Bhattar need not have any worries. CBSE is planning to introduce Mandarin as a language like French, German etc in its syllabus from next academic year. This has made such a furore in the minds of all those patriots and have been pouring all sorts of nonsense in comments column of the Times of India. I too have pushed in my name and in pseudonym Septicus. I am not sure whether I used Chaupat Raja also. I am giving the link to the news item here and anybody interested can read it. The first one is News item with some comments. the second one all the comments
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Writing-on-wall-Mandarin-in-CBSE-syllabus/articleshow/7045200.cms
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/opinions/7045200.cms
