English is everywhere and everywhere. It bullies and borrows. It dominates completely.
‘Voices from the Far East’, a gathering of renowned writers from the Far East at MBIFL on Thursday, lamented the dominance of English over other languages of the world.
More than 400 million people speak English as their first language. A billion more know it as a secondary tongue. In at least 59 countries, it is an official language.
Filipino poet Lawrence Ypil, Singaporean writer Alwin Pang, South Korean writer Lee Seok Ho and Malaysian author Malachi Edwin Vethamani took part in the session.
“Each language is a gem. One must choose the language of innovation and possibility. The dominance of English in literature is not a good sign. Regional languages need to be promoted. Right now, writers need to go to
the West for recognition. Let us not forget the fact that global communication is possible without English,” said Alwin Pang.
He said that many people living in the Far East had their roots in India, especially Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Lawrence Ypil conveyed his interest in colonial history and photography and described how poetry could write about history.
Prof. Lee said that the dominance of the West should not drown out voices from the East.
Malachi Edwin Vethamani expressed his views on the co- existence of English and regional languages in Malaysia.
Published: 09 Feb 2023, 01:05 pm IST
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