Language
As per the 2011 census, the percentage of people capable of speaking English in India was 10.67 per cent of the country's total population. https://www.rediff.com/news/column/why-so-much-hatred-for-english/20250721.htm
It puzzles sometimes why much bigger numbers of people, comfortably entrenched in the ecosystems of their language, feel annoyed by India's 10 per cent capable of speaking English.
One reason is that in India, the English-speaking lot is sometimes labelled an elite group because one's knowledge of English, has much to do with the type of school or college one went to and the quality of education received.
Add to it, the perception in the political Right that this club of English-speaking types has a disproportionate role in the criticism the Right-Wing faces periodically despite it parking itself with the majority as defined by religion, community and a settled lifestyle with emphasis on making money.
When I was in school and college, a Western perspective was seen as providing awareness of a larger world and motivating us to shed many of our social shackles.
That has since regressed and it is largely thanks to narratives manufactured to counter what was seen as Western education robbing Indians of the capacity to be proud of their culture and heritage.
The Right-Wing has been active in this regard.
I have felt that the political Right views English through the same prism as it views Communists and individualists (both of who they disapprove of).
I have also felt that the dislike the Right-Wing has for the said two groups is carried on to the English language for its role as purveyor of western ideas / values and the education and perspective it signifies.
21/07/2025
Maharashtra government has withdrawn its decision resolution on mandating Hindi as the third language in classes 1 to 5 in English and Marathi medium schools. The decision was announced by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in a press conference on the eve of monsoon session of state legislature.
Fadnavis also announced that a new expert committee will be formed, led by educationist and former Rajya Sabha MP Narendra Jadhav, which will advise on implementing the National Education Policy’s (NEP) three-language formula.
The controversial language mandate was introduced on April 16 through the State Curriculum Framework for School Education 2024. The original government resolution (GR) had stated that Hindi would “generally” be the third language, alongside the compulsory inclusion of Marathi in all English or Marathi medium schools. This triggered swift political backlash as it was perceived that this effectively made Hindi the mandatory third language.
30/06/2025
Despite the fervent rhetoric against English, most political leaders – including those advocating for its removal – choose English-medium education for their own children. This contradiction reflects the undeniable truth: in globalised India, English is the passport to higher education, job opportunities, international diplomacy and technological innovation. https://thewire.in/politics/amit-shahs-jibe-at-english-speakers-revives-old-fault-lines-of-linguistic-politics-in-india
Statistical trends show English leading in sectors like education, industry and administration – even in the Hindi heartland. It is the language of science, law and governance. India’s tech boom, international trade relations and higher education landscape are all heavily reliant on English proficiency.
Ironically, while vilifying English for political mileage, many of its opponents privately benefit from its advantages. This duplicity not only weakens the credibility of their arguments but also threatens national cohesion by reanimating dormant linguistic fault lines.
by Hasnain Naqvi
26/06/2025
Last week at a book launch, Union Home Minister Amit Shah made that clear. Shah said that those who speak English in India would “soon feel ashamed” and that the creation of such a society was not far away. He went on to say that Indian languages are the jewels of our culture, and without them, “we cease to be truly Indian”.
https://theprint.in/opinion/bjp-english-khan-market-gang/2668305/
Shah’s pronouncements aren’t emerging in a vacuum. For years, language debates have simmered in India, particularly around the New Education Policy’s three-language formula, which southern states view as Hindi imposition (although the policy does not explicitly mandate Hindi). Tamil Nadu has been especially vocal in its resistance, labelling the policy as a direct assault on linguistic federalism. The timing of Shah’s remarks – delivered just as Bihar prepares for October-November polls and Tamil Nadu gears up for elections next April – is carefully calibrated electoral ammo. By villainising English, the BJP is no doubt betting that linguistic nationalism will energise its base in the Hindi heartland, even if it alienates the southern states.
So when Shah promises that English speakers will feel ashamed, it begs the question: How exactly does India plan to become the “vishwaguru” if its citizens are ever more insular? Phantom enemies are fine; every government needs a few. But when you convince people that their limitations should be viewed as patriotic victories, the consequences extend far beyond politics. This is how a country talks itself into irrelevance.
The Union home minister’s controversial statement carries deep political and global implications, touching on issues of national identity, linguistic divisions, social mobility, intellectualism and India’s international image.
Non-Hindi speaking states, especially those in the South, East and the Northeast, are likely to see Shah’s statement as yet another attempt by the Hindutva regime to impose a narrow, Hindi-centric identity on the entire country, further deepening regional divides and resentment.
Shah’s statement is not just divisive; it is dangerous. It threatens social mobility, sows linguistic discord, risks India’s global standing, fosters anti-intellectualism and distracts from the real challenges facing the country.
20/06/2025