Now Reading: Supreme Court revives debate: Is English now an Indian language?
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Supreme Court revives debate: Is English now an Indian language?
A recent Supreme Court observation has reopened the question of whether English can be considered an indigenous Indian language. English arrived with colonialism but was repurposed by Indians for nationalist, reformist, and…
The Story in Brief
A recent Supreme Court observation has reopened the question of whether English can be considered an indigenous Indian language. English arrived with colonialism but was repurposed by Indians for nationalist, reformist, and literary expression, argues a detailed analysis. The 2011 Census recorded nearly 129 million Indians speaking English as a first, second or third language, making India one of the world's largest English-speaking nations.
The article contends that denying English's Indian identity overlooks how figures from Raja Ram Mohan Roy to Mahatma Gandhi used it to articulate Indian aspirations. English now dominates India's judiciary, higher education, and professional sectors, with an estimated 180, 250 million possessing functional knowledge. The Sahitya Akademi recognises English as a language of Indian literature.
The Indian Opinion
The familiar binary of English versus Indian languages is a lazy trap. Panic about English 'eroding' native tongues ignores the reality that multilingualism has always been India's strength. The real test is not whether English belongs, but whether policy ensures equitable access to it alongside robust, well-funded instruction in regional languages. Will the National Education Policy translate this balance into classroom reality, or will the debate remain a sterile shouting match?
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
