LS POLLS

Ahem! No translators please, we got this: Meet the polyglots in Kerala's poll fray

They are miles apart in their politics, but these candidates share a common love - languages. ML Ashwini, the BJP candidate in Kasaragod speaks six languages - Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, Tulu, Hindi, and English. MP Abdusammad Samadani, the three-time MP from the Indian Union Muslim League and who is contesting from Ponnani is fluent in Malayalam, English, Urdu, Hindi, Arabic, Persian, and Sanskrit.

In case someone wonders how much Ashwini loves diversity in languages, she makes sure even her family members are at ease conversing in different languages. She communicates with her husband in Tulu, her husband and son converse in Malayalam, and Ashwini speaks Kannada with her daughter.

With Kannada as her mother tongue, she gained fluency in English from her school days. “Living in the cosmopolitan city of Bengaluru allowed me to pick up Tamil, Hindi, and Malayalam through interactions with a diverse group of migrants from various parts of India," Ashwini told Onmanorama. Tulu was a language she acquired from her neighbourhood.

Her multilingual abilities have significantly aided her political career, especially during her tenure as a national executive member of the BJP Mahila Morcha. Ashwini's assignments with BJP took her across 10 states, including Jammu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Assam, where she could effortlessly engage with locals in their native languages. Colleagues from north Indian states feel particularly comfortable conversing with her in either Hindi or English, she said.

According to Ashwini, language is a critical tool which enabled her to connect with people. “Language helped me interact effectively with individuals from different regions of India, who were able to discuss their issues in a form (mainly in Hindi) they are comfortable with," Ashwini said.

MP Abdusammad Samadani, the three-time MP and Muslim league's candidate in Ponnani has been a strong advocate of linguistic diversity and cultural heritage. Born in Malappuram’s Kottakkal, Samadani credits his father MP Abdul Hameed for nurturing his linguistic talents from a young age. “Uppa (father) taught me Urdu from a very young age. It was he who sent me to Kunj Namboothiri in Marakkara to learn Sanskrit during my school time. Namboothiri taught me Bhagavat Gita," he said.

Hameed, who was proficient in Sanskrit, even taught the stories of Ramayana to Samadani. Arabic was an important part of his upbringing and also pursued it as a second language during his college years. He has an admiration for Urdu, which is evident in his speeches and he lauded the language for its cultural richness and secular values. He noted Urdu's significant role in the Indian freedom struggle, resonant in its extensive Ghazal and poetic traditions.

Samadani’s education in Hindi began formally in schools. “Uppa also knew Hindi very well. He even got prizes for language competitions at that time," Samadani recounts. He then got acquainted with Persian due to its similarities with Urdu. 

“Knowledge of Urdu and Hindi has immensely benefited my political career, particularly during my speeches in the Rajya Sabha, where this linguistic versatility has attracted attention and praise, including from former House deputy chairman Najma Heptulla," he says.

Moreover, Samadani has applied his linguistic skills to translate speeches for eminent Indian political figures and experts, including Rahul Gandhi and poet, lyricist and Jnanpith Award recipient Gulzar. He fondly recalled translating for Kapil Sibal at an event on Kozhikode beach.

M T Vasudevan Nair, celebrated writer and Jnanpith laureate admired Samadani's oratory skills, dubbing him "Vashya Vachasu" and the "king of speeches." Samadani cherishes this recognition from the literary doyen as one of the highest honours he has ever received.

Shashi Tharoor, the Congress candidate in Thiruvananthapuram, is such a natural that his way with words has a huge fan base. The incumbent Lok Sabha MP's appeal to the migrant workers in a fluent mix of Bangla and Hindi, asking them to remain in Kerala at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic was viral on X (formerly Twitter). In 2015, replying to a user on X, Tharoor commented on his language skills; “not that many! More or less fluent English, French, Hindi, Malayalam. Basic Bangla & Tamil. Notions of Spanish, Italian, German”.

Tharoor is always considered a logophile, and his mastery over the English language has been recognised and praised internationally, with an Australian educator even recommending him as a model for students learning English.