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English, being a foreign language, always baffles me and sometimes leaves me amused.
The first time I heard and saw the word 'award' was when I was awarded the slim book 'Lorna Doone' in my school at Muthukur where Father was the Head Master (that explains it). When I opened the book, I saw a Certificate signed by the HM, pasted on its inner cover. It said that it was awarded to me as the First Prize in Essay-Writing (English). I was 12 at that time. And was charmed.
I thought awards were good things of life like the Nobel till a year later when, in our Pre-University History, I met with the 'Radcliffe Award'. I thought he gave it for soccer or singing. But it turned out to be one of the worst awards in Indian History...Sir Cyril Radcliffe, the book said, hurriedly drew a line, with his pencil on the Map of India lying on his table, which dissected our Bharat Mata into two eternally warring nations... it was the parting kick Brits gave India as punishment for fighting for Freedom.
Another 'award' is due, from the table of a bigwig in New Delhi, this time drawing a line around a samosa-looking Hyderabad worrying what to do with it...someone is fighting for Freedom again...
But the best 'award' I met with came this morning when the headlines screamed:
"The four convicts have been awarded death penalty"
I hope there is no confusion with our Gallantry Awards...
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English, being a foreign language, always baffles me and sometimes leaves me amused.
The first time I heard and saw the word 'award' was when I was awarded the slim book 'Lorna Doone' in my school at Muthukur where Father was the Head Master (that explains it). When I opened the book, I saw a Certificate signed by the HM, pasted on its inner cover. It said that it was awarded to me as the First Prize in Essay-Writing (English). I was 12 at that time. And was charmed.
I thought awards were good things of life like the Nobel till a year later when, in our Pre-University History, I met with the 'Radcliffe Award'. I thought he gave it for soccer or singing. But it turned out to be one of the worst awards in Indian History...Sir Cyril Radcliffe, the book said, hurriedly drew a line, with his pencil on the Map of India lying on his table, which dissected our Bharat Mata into two eternally warring nations... it was the parting kick Brits gave India as punishment for fighting for Freedom.
Another 'award' is due, from the table of a bigwig in New Delhi, this time drawing a line around a samosa-looking Hyderabad worrying what to do with it...someone is fighting for Freedom again...
But the best 'award' I met with came this morning when the headlines screamed:
"The four convicts have been awarded death penalty"
I hope there is no confusion with our Gallantry Awards...
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