HYDERABAD, August 8: A rigorous Parliamentary schedule and commitments in his home state are apparently coming in the way of Lok Sabha Speaker G M C Balayogi's efforts to develop his Hindi vocabulary.Though Balayogi, whose is relatively poor in Hindi, wanted to learn the rashtra bhasha ever since he was elected to the post four months ago, his efforts have not yielded results, thanks to the hustle and bustle of Parliamentary business. However, he is now said to have changed his mind about taking the formal route to mastering the language.At the behest of the Speaker, the Lok Sabha secretariat searched for a Hindi teacher and finally chose S N Mishra, a retired professor in Hindi from Banaras Hindu University, for the job. Mishra was even provided accommodation in Andhra Pradesh Bhavan in Delhi.Balayogi agreed to spare at least one hour each day for about three months, though his teacher was ready to complete the `syllabus' in just two months. However, Mishra is still waiting for his pupil, who, justcan't seem to make it to `class'. If it was the gruelling Budget session in the beginning, later, it was the tenuous monsoon session that came in the way of lessons.Sources close to the Speaker however reveal that Balayogi has given up on the idea of learning the language through formal classes. He is understood to have told his friends that the right way to acquire language skills is not by taking classes but by ``mingling with those who speak it fluently''.``Moreover, things won't change in a week or two. As Speaker, he cannot neglect his commitments during the inter-session period either,'' a close confidant told The Indian Express. Given the number of official engagements, it is close to impossible for the Speaker to spare time on a continuous basis, he added.Besides, the Speaker has been visiting Andhra Pradesh, especially his constituency, Amalapuram, whenever he finds time, either during the inter-session period or on weekends. Of late, he has also been receiving invitations from otherstates.However, ``most Hindi-speaking floor leaders like Mulayam Singh Yadav or Laloo Prasad Yadav, or even Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madanlal Khurana, are cooperative and bear with Balayogi's elementary Hindi,'' an aide pointed out.A friend of Balayogi's pointed out that the Speaker was not exactly at a loss when it came to understanding what was being said in the House. ``Of course, he may not grasp the Bhojpuri or Mythili accent. But that does not pose any problem for him in running the House,'' he said.Though Balayogi studied Hindi as second language up to Standard 10, the language is not spoken in his native Konaseema region in coastal Andhra.To tide over the barrier of Hindi, which is spoken by almost 50 per cent of the MPs in Lok Sabha, he improved the simultaneous English translation facility in the House. Whenever someone starts speaking in Hindi, he picks up the earphone.Finally, it is not always that a member's speech has him reaching for the earphone. ``He understands everythingPrime Minister Vajpayee says,'' said an MP from Andhra Pradesh and a close friend of the Speaker.
