Forget propah accent, it’s cool to sound desi

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Though reports of Metro officials being made to learn a British accent have been doing the rounds, seems it isn’t actually the case. DMRC spokesperson Anuj Dayal dismisses the reports saying, “We are not teaching them a British accent. The emphasis is only on teaching them good and fluent English for more effective communication with the tourists.”
Giving this move a strong nod, youngsters feel Indians speaking with a forced British accent would have been downright silly. Aditi Singh Sharma, a vocalist, says, “Teaching them how to speak in proper English is a great move. But thank god there’s no accent involved. I guess as Indians we do have our own accent which is pretty cool.”
Many second this and feel Indians talking in a British accent would have only proved amusing for visitors and definitely not “cool”. “I don’t know why we Indians are obsessed with anything that’s firang. Why can’t Indians simply talk in English in our very own desi accent? When I read about the Brit accent news, I felt it was really stupid. Our officials must be taught how to speak English properly, and not how to talk in an accent that’s not their own,” says Anuj Mehta, a 24-year-old businessman.
There are many who feel that the idea of flaunting a Brit accent is just “funny”. Laughs 22-year-old Nitasha Anand, “Imagine a security official talking in a British accent. It’s damn funny. I’m glad the news was false, else we would’ve made a mockery of ourselves.”
For some, talking in a firang accent is “uncool”. “Many of my friends try and copy the American accent and end up being laughed at. We are Indians and are proud of our own accent,” says Nitish, a student.