Rereading & Decoding Ngugi's the Language of Languages (2023) in a Neo-colonial World

This is the paper I presented in a National Symposium organised by ULAB. It was about the synoptical work of Ngugi wa Thiongo & his extending Bangla version Azfar Hussain

The title of the paper is: Liberation: Rereading and Decoding Ngũgĩ’s The Language of Languages in a Neo-Colonial World



Abstract

This paper critically examines Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s culminating vision of translation as a "language of languages"—a radical force for epistemic restoration and cultural survival. This paper employs a critical textual analysis, using postcolonial, Marxist, and Globalectic lenses, to review all nine essays. It challenges the "imperial logic" that privileges dominant languages, critiquing "aesthetic feudalism" where European languages suffocate others like "carbon monoxide," while "multilingualism offers the oxygen of democratic coexistence". Ngũgĩ exposes four linguistic orthodoxies upheld by postcolonial states: colonial imposition, statist monolingualism, global capitalism's false promises, and market-driven educational hierarchies. He also offers correctives—border communities and multilingualism, lingua franca practices, rewarding polyglots in jobs, and translation itself—as modes of resistance. The paper argues that thought itself is a form of translation. Connecting Ngũgĩ’s framework to Bangladesh’s history of language struggle—from the 1952 movement to the current elite bias for English in academia, media, and governance—the paper proposes a Bangla-centered, decolonial praxis. It engages Azfar Hussain’s cultural politics, particularly his theorization of land, labor, language, and body, to deepen this decolonial analysis. As "La luta continua," this study unveils translation as resistance and revolution against neo-colonialism, urging us to decolonize the mind by decolonizing the word.

Keywords: Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, translation, cultural hegemony, decoding mind, globalectics, Gramsci, Marxism, decolonization, Bangladesh, multilingualism, language policy, aesthetic feudalism, neo-colonialism.


Moinul Islam is the Editor of Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC). He can be reached at:...

Introduction

Revolutionary Kenyan writer Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o (1938-2025) has consistently dedicated his intellectual and creative life to the profound interplay between language, power, and liberation. His work meticulously dissects how imperial forces weaponize language to subjugate nations, seize their cultural heritage, and perpetuate cycles of enslavement. Simultaneously, Ngũgĩ offers a potent counter-narrative, demonstrating how language, culture, and literature can serve as formidable tools to resist and dismantle colonial and imperialist aggression. His 2023 book,

The Language of Languages: Reflections on Translation, published by Seagull Books, stands as a testament to this lifelong intellectual endeavor. Comprising nine lucid and accessible essays, the 100-page volume distills Ngũgĩ's extensive thoughts on language, colonialism, and decolonization, drawing from his speeches, interviews, and forewords delivered between 2000 and 2019.

This paper undertakes a critical review of The Language of Languages, aiming to decode the core ideas encapsulated within its essays. Our analysis will primarily focus on Ngũgĩ’s arguments concerning language, cultural aggression, and the transformative potential of translation. We will explore how Ngũgĩ emphasizes translation as a force for unity and equality among languages, contrasting it with the suppressive effects of linguistic monopolization, often rooted in personal experiences. Furthermore, this study will critically engage with Ngũgĩ’s theoretical framework by drawing comparisons with the decolonial and linguistic ideas of Azfar Hussain, particularly his theorization of "land, labor, language, and the body." By examining the historical and contemporary linguistic struggles in Bangladesh, from the pivotal 1952 Language Movement to the persistent elite bias for English in contemporary academia, media, and governance, this paper aims to illuminate the transcontinental relevance of Ngũgĩ’s and Hussain’s insights, ultimately arguing for translation as a revolutionary act in the ongoing fight against neo-colonialism.


Decoding Ngũgĩ’s The Language of Languages

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o's The Language of Languages is a powerful collection that systematically dismantles linguistic hierarchies and champions translation as the ultimate tool for decolonization and cultural revitalization. Across its nine essays, Ngũgĩ weaves together personal anecdotes, historical analysis, and theoretical propositions to present a cohesive vision of linguistic justice.

1. Translation: Towards a Global Conversation among Languages and Cultures

In this foundational essay, originally a keynote speech at the Global Humanities Institute in 2019, Ngũgĩ immediately confronts the "imperial logic" that underpins unequal power relations between languages.