Dear Je,
I am an avid listener to your short speeches and English articles. Despite being a native Tamil speaker, I struggle to read Tamil fluently, like many educated urban Tamils. They provide me with excellent insights, and my days are filled with thoughts following them. But I can’t forward your conversations to my non-Tamil friends. Why can’t you speak English too?
Chandrasekar
Dear Chandrasekar,
As a creative writer in Tamil, I consciously tried to restrict my inner language to only Tamil because I feared English could change my style. English, being a powerful language, presents a real possibility. I started to speak English only recently, after my books were published in English and I was compelled to participate in international litfests. However, I still feel uncertain about my English proficiency, which makes me deeply hesitant to converse in English. I think I’ll give it a try in the future.
jeyamohan
