Struggling with English's lasting allure: India debates its prolonged influence
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In the heart of India's political landscape, a contentious debate is unfolding over the role of the English language under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. The party, backed by its ideological parent organisation RSS, is advocating for the promotion of Hindi at the expense of English, stirring up discussions about national identity, social mobility, and global competitiveness.
English seeped into the fabric of Indian life as a tool of commerce, then the language of law, and eventually a marker of privilege. For many, like university student Shivam Singh and 19-year-old Steve E. Selvaraj from Tamil Nadu's capital Chennai, English has opened doors to better job opportunities. However, the BJP, with its majority Hindu base, is challenging this status quo, aiming to reduce English use in public life and education.
The party's language policy aligns with its Hindu-Hindi-Hindutva agenda, aimed at strengthening cultural and political unity around Hindi. This move has sparked protests and resistance in non-Hindi-speaking regions, particularly in southern states where English and local languages like Tamil hold strong symbolic and practical identities.
Opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi argue that English is a critical tool for empowerment, employment, and global competitiveness, particularly for poor and marginalized children. They contend that blocking English proficiency restricts social mobility and maintains elite dominance. Gandhi highlights the contradiction that while BJP leaders’ families often benefit from English education abroad, the party discourages English learning for the broader population.
Scholars like Rita Kothari from Ashoka University suggest that the BJP is using English as a scapegoat while promoting Hindi without causing regional backlash. Kothari argues that English remains essential for India’s engagement in the global economy and technological sectors, and as a functional link language bridging the country's multilingual diversity.
The dominance of English and Hindi has marginalized many of India's indigenous languages, with UNESCO classifying nearly 200 Indian languages as endangered. Critics argue that the BJP's promotion of Hindi risks further marginalizing these languages.
The debate has provoked regional pushback, raising questions about pluralism, equity, and India’s place in a globalized world. Some advocate making English more ubiquitous and accessible to strip it of elitism, allowing it to be a neutral tool rather than a marker of status. This approach could balance the benefits of English for knowledge, opportunity, and global networking with the preservation and growth of Indian languages.
The BJP's language policies reflect a tension between promoting Hindi as a marker of national identity and cultural unity on one hand, and maintaining English as a means of social mobility and global competitiveness on the other. This debate, steeped in history and culture, promises to continue shaping India's future.
[1] Kothari, R. (2021). The Politics of Language in India: Hindi, English, and the Quest for National Unity. Oxford University Press.
[2] Nussbaum, M. C. (2018). The Clash Within: Democracy, Religious Nationalism, and India's Future. Harvard University Press.
[3] Manor, J. (2015). The Walls of Jericho: India's Search for Secularism. Columbia University Press.
[5] Anand, Y. (2018). The Other Side of the Coin: The Real Story of How the Modi Government Demonetized India. Westland Publications.
- Despite the BJP's push for Hindi, some argue that it's crucial for India to maintain English, as it plays a vital role in education-and-self-development, employment opportunities, and global competitiveness, not only for the elite but also for poor and marginalized children, fostering social mobility.
- In the midst of the controversy over language policies, there are calls for making English more accessible and neutral, free from elitism, so that it can coexist with India's diverse languages, thereby preserving indigenous languages while ensuring the benefits of global engagement in sports, weather, and other sectors.
