Latest news with #non-Hindi-speaking
Hindustan Times
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
The case for English in India
Language is politics by other means in India. Which is why Union home minister Amit Shah's clarification that the Centre is not opposed to any foreign language is significant. In the same vein, he added that 'there should be an urge to glorify one's own language'. A few days earlier, Shah had lit a small political fire with his remarks that 'those who speak English will soon be ashamed'. This remark was interpreted by Opposition leaders as a backdoor attempt to impose Hindi on non-Hindi speakers. The BJP has always been in favour of making Hindi the official language of the country and eliminating the use of English, a potentially explosive issue in the non-Hindi-speaking states of southern India. Now, Maharashtra, again a state that has a history of strong linguistic identity, has become restive over the BJP-led government's move to introduce Hindi as a language from primary classes. India's founding fathers saw the opportunity in English proficiency and encouraged its use, without discriminating against local languages. (HT Photo) The case for English in India is simple. First, it is the language of opportunity and economic mobility. Second, it is also the language of aspiration, a secular means to become urban and modern, and possibly, transcend the chains of caste and class. And, third, it is the word of the world, and the passport to the world of ideas. In the case of India, it has been a convenient link language immune to the legacies of local dominance. This is the reason the founding fathers of the republic, who fought the British, found no reason to outlaw the language in independent India. In fact, they saw the opportunity in English proficiency and encouraged its use, without discriminating against local languages. In the process, English has been well assimilated within Indian society to the extent that it may have lost its foreignness. It is no longer perceived as the language of economic and cultural imperialism, but as a vehicle that has enabled India's rise as a knowledge power. That's why China is encouraging English learning. Does this mean a rejection of Indian languages? Certainly not. Much of India is bilingual, if not trilingual, and is likely to remain so. As per Census 2011, only 259,000 people reported English as their mother tongue or first language, but 83 million said it was their second language. In comparison, over 520 million called Hindi their first language as compared to 55 million for Gujarati. These numbers hardly suggest a threat from English to Hindi or any Indian language. As for Indian languages, state governments could promote local languages. In fact, the Centre should call off its push to promote Hindi nationally and disperse the funds to states to promote local languages. This is important as local languages are repositories of cultural inheritance. However, the choice of learning a language should be left to citizens. It should also be kept in mind that the growth of English in India has happened without too much State patronage: People embrace it because of its economic utility. Languages that cease to be of transactional value face the threat of losing their prominence even in their motherland; no amount of polemics or policy imposition can rescue them. For instance, a report in this newspaper last week showed that the government spent ₹ 2,532.59 crore on the promotion of Sanskrit between 2014-15 and 2024-25 — 17 times the combined spending of ₹ 147.56 crore on the other five classical Indian languages, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Odia. But there's little to show for this. A nuanced policy that does not privilege or discriminate against, any language is the sensible option for India.
NDTV
18-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Maharashtra Revises 3rd Language Notification, Hindi Not Mandatory In Schools
New Delhi: Hindi has been made the default third language in schools across Maharashtra, the state government said in a revised notification issued Wednesday. In April the state had made Hindi the mandatory third language for primary students in Marathi and English-medium schools. The move prompted fierce protests from the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance and even Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, which is seen as friendly towards the ruling BJP. It also re-opened the 'Hindi imposition' controversy, which refers to claims by non-Hindi-speaking states, including Tamil Nadu, where Tamil holds pride of place and language is an emotive that learning Hindi is being forced upon them to the detriment of regional tongues. In Wednesday's revised notification, the Maharashtra School Education Department removed the word 'compulsory' but said Hindi will be taught as the third language from Class I to V. Students can, however, opt for other languages if they want, the notification said. There must, though, be a minimum of 20 students in a class who want to learn another language. If that threshold is met, the school will make that subject available. And, if the school cannot find a teacher for that language, classes will be held online. Marathi remains a compulsory subject for all school students in the state. The three-language policy - under which Hindi is now the default third language - is part of the federal government's revised National Education Policy, which kicked up a row in the south. Tamil Nadu, in particular, has been on the warpath, arguing that the policy says students from Class VII and above must learn a third language in addition to English and the state language. The ruling DMK has objected to this requirement, pointing out the existing two-language policy has served the state - the second-largest contributor to the national economy - well. The BJP, however, maintains its formula will benefit people travelling to other states. It has also argued the NEP does not force a student to study Hindi.
