THE FUTURE OF ENGLISH IN INDIA
Even when India was under British rule, and even today when India is free,
English was not and is not the language of the common people of India. It was
and still is used for special purposes. Let us enumetate some of them.
Arguments in the Supreme Court and in the High Courts of India still have
to be presented in English. This is so because for lawyers and judges from all
over India with different mother tongues, English alone can serve as a link
language. The majority of the members ofthe Lok Sabha are from the non Hindi
speakingregions, and also members of the Central Secretariat and other Central
services. The same is true of our ambassadors and other members of our
embassies, ofour army, our air force, ournavy, of ourreasearch in stitutes and of
our various other institutions. For them al English serves as a link language.
In our universities there are teachers and students from all over India. The
regional language may be the educational medium but it is equally necessary to
have sections where the educational medium is English. And last but not least is
he fact that books in Indian languages on hundreds of important branches and
sub-branches of knowledge are not available.
For the purposes mentioned above and for about five percent of our people
English is indispensable. It is wishful thinking to say that English has no future
in India. To think in terms of English or no English is unrealistic. We should not
be guilty of over-simplification of complex issues. Our mother tongues will not
lose but will gain if our highly educated classes have their minds enriched and
strengthened with the knowledge of English. Out of this class will come the
future makers and creators of great literature in the Indian languages. For literature
begets literature.
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