Sushil Kumar with Congress president Sonia Gandhi in Delhi. PTI file picture

He may be a crorepati five times over but for Sushil Kumar that’s not enough. He feels he needs to articulate his thoughts in Queen’s English to enjoy his elevated status.

“It has become a dire necessity in order to justify my dignity in society,” the newly appointed brand ambassador of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act told The Telegraph. “I want to live up to the expectation of the Union rural development ministry. So, I have decided to learn English.”

He has persuaded a number of his friends, who are preparing for competitive exams, to help him out. “There is no shame in asking anyone about something I don’t know. It is difficult for me to enrol in a coaching centre to learn English. So, I have decided to approach my neighbour, Sachindra Babu, also a retired teacher, to help me master grammar,” he said.

Learning English is also an exercise in confidence-building for the crorepati. “I have read about the careers of several Indian cricketers as well as a high-profile politician of Bihar. Their command over the language improved with their hard work. I’m sure it will also boost my confidence as well,” said Sushil.

His detractors may screw their nose and describe Sushil’s new quest as a haunting remnant of our colonial past but the young man who scripted a rags-to-riches story has pragmatic reasons. He has learnt from experience that though the erstwhile colonial masters left our shores more than 60 years ago, the Queen’s tongue is still the currency in the top echelons of society.

“I decided to learn English at Indian International Centre in New Delhi on November 14. Union minister Jairam Ramesh felicitated me on the day. It was a happy occasion. But I felt lonely and isolated at the function because I did not know the language everyone was talking in,” he said.

“A delegate of United National Development Programme was the chief guest at the programme. A large number of dignitaries and senior officials from all over the country also attended the meet. I could not communicate with anyone. I felt like a dwarf.”

Sushil does not want to stay out in the cold anymore. He wants to feel the true height that becomes his Rs 5-crore-worth stature.