The officialese of His Excellency : Of Shri and Shrimati and others
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: October 12, 2012 -

Officially it is about protocol. But President Pranab Mukherjee may have just said something more than protocol in deciding to do away with the term 'His Excellency' while referring to the offices of the President and the Governor and personalities who come under the tag of VIPs.

It could be more about a break from the chain that India as a Union has yoked herself with her erstwhile ruler, the British Empire.

Maybe the day will come when the term 'Honourable' too becomes a dinosaur.

In a sense this can be taken as an indication that the high offices of the Government should be more identifiable with the people.

Terms like 'His Excellency' unfailingly demonstrate a divide between the rulers and the ruled.

Protocol and officialese, no doubt are two sides of the same coin, but yet at the same time there is no reason why the divide that officialdom spawns should not be sought to be reduced.

Completely removing it, on the other hand, would lead to anarchy and chaos. Maybe it is because of this that the term 'Honourable' has been retained.

President Pranab Mukherjee may have just taken the path, a route which would have far reaching impact in the long run, but would not upset the applecart.

An effort to bridge the gap between officialdom and the hoi-polloi should mean an office which is all inclusive, unlike the proverbial nose in the air of the archaic British aristocracy. But Shri and Shrimati may just run counter to the thought that has been flagged off but then again this may be identified with Indian culture.

In Manipur, terms such as Excellency, Honourable, Shri and Shrimati continue.

Does this practice or culture correspond with the identity of Manipur ?

Are these terms inclusive of all the indigenous people of Manipur ?

To the Vaishnavite Hindus, Shri and Shrimati may be acceptable, but will this work with the Christians or the Muslims here?

Should the office of the Chief Minister be always addressed as Shri?

It would be extremely good to see the day that a woman becomes the Chief Minister of Manipur and a debate is started on whether it should me Miss/Ma'am/or other indigenous language that we have here.?

In Meiteilon, Ichemma/Ibemma or other corresponding terms in the languages of the hill people like Achon, Pi, may be more apt.

So why not terms as acceptable as Shri and Shrimati in the local parlance, keeping in mind the diversity of the people here ?

This will make the decision of 'no more Your Excellency' more meaningful. There is nothing to a name or a term, is a saying, but then again there is something definitely important and significant about a name too.

Let the debate start.