Mind her language

Mamata Banerjee has often unfairly been the butt of many jokes on account of her quirky English-speaking abilities, but she repeatedly and unwittingly makes a mockery of Urdu as well. In what has now become her signature style, Banerjee ends all her speeches with “Jai Hind, Vande Mataram, Khuda Hafiz, Inshallah” — possibly in an effort to address all the elements of her audience. But “Inshallah” translates to “God willing” and can never be used as a parting word in any culture. But then, Banerjee has always been known to make her own rules — so what if these mean bending language basics as well!
More From This Section
Don't miss the most important news and views of the day. Get them on our Telegram channel
First Published: Apr 24 2012 | 12:51 AM IST
