English in India: Colonial legacy or advantage for the language?

English in India: Colonial legacy or advantage for the language?

When British traders landed on India's shores in the 17th century in search of spices and silk, they stayed for centuries, leaving behind a legacy that would shape the nation long after their colonial rule ended: the English language.

The penetration of English in Indian life

Over the centuries, English has become deeply embedded in Indian life - first as a tool of trade, then as a language of law, and finally as a sign of privilege. After more than a decade of nationalist rule under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the role of English in India now faces one of the greatest challenges in its history.

Shame and national identity

“Those who speak English will soon be ashamed,” Home Minister Amit Shah declared last month, igniting a heated debate about national identity and social mobility in the polyglot nation of 1.4 billion people. Shah clarified that “the languages ​​of our country are the jewels of our culture” and without them “we cease to be truly Indian”.

The legacy of the colonial era

Initially, English was used in India as the language of books and contracts. But as British rule spread from the ports of Gujrat to the palaces of Delhi, it became the lingua franca of the colonial elite. At independence, India faced a dilemma: with hundreds of languages ​​and dialects, the question was which language should represent the new country. Hindi, the predominant language in the north, has been proposed as a candidate for the official language.

Resistance to English

However, strong opposition from non-Hindi-speaking regions, particularly in the south, ensured that English could only remain as a temporary unifying factor. This legacy continues to have an impact today and still causes resentment. “I am of the view that English is the language of the colonial masters,” said Pradeep Bahirwani, a retired corporate executive from Bengaluru. “Our national language should be a language that…has roots in India.”

Criticism and concerns

Critics argue that Shah's statements threaten the country's global competitiveness. They see the equation of English with cultural shame as a narrow perspective that unnecessarily seeks to eradicate a remnant of the colonial era that allows India to dominate the language of global commerce. “It is people's desire to have access to a language that is internationally respected,” said Indian linguist Ayesha Kidwai of Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. “I don’t think it’s still the legacy of colonialism.”

Disagreements on the streets

But the tensions surrounding language are no longer limited to parliamentary debates – they spill into the streets. Last week, a video of a heated conflict on a train in Mumbai's financial hub went viral after a passenger was allegedly harassed over his inability to speak the regional language, Marathi. Riots also broke out elsewhere in the city, sparked by the federal government's push to promote Hindi - a language closely tied to the BJP's north Indian power base and often seen as central to the party's vision of national unity and Hindu identity.

The political role of language

Since India's independence from Britain in 1947, the status of the English language in India has been deeply political and intertwined with questions of identity, power and national direction. Today, English is one of several official languages ​​in India, spoken by around 10% of the population. According to the 2011 census, Hindi is the first language for around 44% of citizens. In recent years, the BJP under Modi has placed particular emphasis on promoting Hindi and reducing the use of English in public life.

English as a serious language

At the opening of the 2023 G20 summit in New Delhi, invitations were sent in the name “Bharat,” the Sanskrit or Hindi name of the country, instead of “India.” This fueled speculation that the government ultimately intends to scrap the country's English name altogether.

Reinterpreting the legacy of the colonial era

The widespread adoption of English can be traced back to the 19th century British politician Thomas Macaulay, who advocated the use of the language as a medium of instruction instead of traditional elite languages ​​such as Sanskrit or Persian. His vision was thoroughly elitist – to create a class of subjects who were “Indian in blood and color but English in taste, in opinions, in morals and in mind.”

Social inequalities through language

But the dominance of English has also deepened social inequalities. People without language skills find themselves largely excluded from lucrative careers, while wealthier, urban or higher-class families are far more likely to be proficient in English. English-medium schools are mainly concentrated in urban areas, leaving rural and lower caste communities excluded.

Preserve India's cultural diversity

The dominance of English and Hindi as well as rapid urbanization have severely marginalized many of the country's indigenous languages. UNESCO classifies nearly 200 Indian languages ​​as endangered, and according to the People's Linguistic Survey of India, over 220 languages ​​have disappeared in the last 50 years. So the future of English in India seems to remain significant as many believe that its role in society is indispensable.

“We can’t afford not to learn English in India,” said Shivam Singh, the first student in his family to speak English. “We are a developing country and we have to learn from the world.”