Indians should be ashamed to speak English, says Modi's minister
Two years ago civil servants in the Indian state Maharashtra, ruled by the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, which is led by the prime minister, Narendra Modi, were told to ditch the greeting and replace it with 'vande mataram', meaning roughly 'I bow to thee, oh motherland'.
Since then the drumbeat against English has intensified, culminating with comments that have sparked a national debate and possible reckoning for its use. Amit Shah, the powerful home minister and senior figure within Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has said that the day is coming when Indians who speak English will feel 'ashamed' to do so.
Shah has long railed against the legacy of colonial rule in India and, along with other members of Modi's government, believes the British empire 'enslaved' Indian minds long after the end of the Raj.
'In our lifetime, we will see a society in which those speaking English will feel ashamed,' Shah said. 'I believe that the languages of our country are the ornament of our culture. For our history and culture to be understood, it cannot be done in foreign languages.' His comments have prompted a nationwide debate about the enduring legacy of British rule.
Ever since the BJP came to power, ministers and Modi have taken potshots at English, calling it a 'colonial relic' surrounded by a 'slavish mentality'. Street names and army regimental titles have changed from English to boost pride in Hindu culture and history.
Shah has stoked controversy by arguing that Hindi, the language of northern India, should take precedence. However, this riles people in southern India, who accuse him of wishing to impose Hindi dominance and stifling the country's linguistic diversity.
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English mostly functions as a 'link language' in southern India, whereby people who do not speak Hindi use it to communicate. Speakers of different languages largely communicate in English without either side feeling threatened by it. If, however, Hindi replaced English, it could prompt widespread outrage.
Shah's critics point out that for every class of Indian, speaking English is seen as a passport to success, prosperity, and elevated social status. More than 100 million Indians speak English with varying levels of fluency and it is the language of business, technology, science and higher education.
Rahul Gandhi, who leads India's opposition Congress party, said: 'English is not shameful; it is empowering. English is not a chain; it is a tool to break the chains. The BJP don't want the poor kids of India to learn English because they don't want you to ask questions, move ahead and attain equality.'
Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd, an activist and author, agreed, saying the BJP did not want Dalits — the lowest stratum in the caste system — and other low-caste Hindus to learn English for fear they would go on to challenge the dominance of the upper caste through the concepts of equality and individual merit that they would inevitably imbibe with the language.
'By his logic, Shah should be ashamed to have educated his son in English. Why was the English-educated foreign minister, S Jaishankar, chosen for the job? Why doesn't Shah become foreign secretary and go around doing diplomacy in Hindi?' Shepherd asked.
He pointed out that the upper castes, the elite and top industrialists all ensured their children were taught English to the point where, he said, 'English is actually their mother tongue'.
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He added: 'It's only the rural masses and Dalits who are told to shun English because they want this very powerful tool of liberation to remain the exclusive preserve of the upper castes so that they can maintain their dominance.'
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