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Madame can read Hindi now!

Congress president Sonia Gandhi no longer depends on English for her Hindi speeches.

A bit confusing, the way that was said. We'll explain: Not long ago -- read the time when Madame started her political career -- the text of her Hindi speeches were all written out in English. But not any more.

"I don't depend on Roman script for my Hindi speeches anymore," Sonia, who admitted to being "nervous" during her first few public addresses, said in Bombay on Sunday. Her speeches are all written in Devanagiri script, which she can now read fluently.

She said she reads Hindi books and newspapers with great interest these days, and have even started to go through the work of popular Hindi authors.

However, Sonia feels her Hindi needs improving. She said she started learning the language soon after her marriage to Rajiv Gandhi 30 years ago.

The copy of the speech written in Devanagiri script which she had delivered at the August Kranti day rally in Bombay was made available to the press by Bombay Regional Congress Committee president and member of Parliament Murli Deora.

UNI

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