Lesson from Modi's PSLV C23 speech: He needs to stop speaking English

This is the first time I’ve seen Narendra Modi slip up so badly in his image building.

I’m referring to his decision to speak in English at Sriharikota.

Normally, I’m mesmerized by his speeches, lapping up the confidence, the surefootedness and the ease with which he speaks – even when he’s spinning his spin.

I’m mesmerized when he speaks in Hindi, I must add.

Not when he speaks in English – as he did today. When he speaks in English, gone is the felicity, the turn of phrase, the alacrity and the richness. He’s continuously aware of every single word that follows – and perhaps uncomfortable with the pronunciation. Perhaps even uncomfortable with the meaning of certain words that creep up.

So instead of focusing on the content of his speech, I’m focusing on the poor command over the language, the mispronunciations. Worse, I’m looking for the next goof, waiting anxiously and eagerly for a malaprop.

There is no need for Modi to do this to himself.

He could have spoken in Hindi – even if the event was at Sriharikota, in coastal Andhra Pradesh.

Perhaps his PR think tank suggested that the use of Hindi would alienate people and that the use of English would be more appropriate and popular.

That’s poor advice.

If Modi had spoken in Hindi, it is certainly true that many at Sriharikota would not have understood a word he was saying. But, even for those who understood no Hindi, Modi would have come across as confident, energetic, sincere and commanding – and of which qualities disappeared with the use of English.

Modi’s PR machine ought to junk this line of thinking and move onto another – translation by an interpreter. This will allow Modi to be comfortable even as the content is accessible to whoever is being addressed.

India is a large country where many languages are spoken and understood – and there will be places where no Hindi, English or Gujarati works. What will Modi do then?

Forget English, Mr Modi, it dilutes the essence of what you say and reduces the impact on your audiences. There are many things you have said that you would do differently – let your use of favoured language be one of them.