Amit Shah’s Remarks on English and the Politics of Language!

DILIP DAIMARY

In a statement that has ignited nationwide debate, India’s Union Home Minister Amit Shah declared that the time is “not far away” when citizens who speak English will “feel ashamed.”

Delivered at the June 19 launch of the Assam -Meghalaya Cadre IAS officer Ashutosh Agnihotri’s book Main Boond Swayam, Khud Sagar Hoon,

Shah’s remarks frame India’s linguistic future as a binary choice between cultural authenticity and colonial legacy.

His vision, which positions Indian languages as the “jewels of our culture,” reflects the ruling BJP’s ideological commitment to linguistic nationalism but raises urgent questions about pragmatism in an increasingly globalized world.

Shah’s comments are not isolated rhetoric but part of a broader political project. The BJP has long championed linguistic decolonization, evident in policies like the National Education Policy 2020, which prioritizes mother-tongue instruction, and the gradual Hindi-fication of government communications.

Shah’s assertion that “India cannot be imagined with a foreign language” taps into a visceral narrative of cultural reclamation, positioning English as a relic of British rule. Yet this perspective overlooks English’s contemporary role as a linguistic equalizer in a fractious federation.

Historical precedents loom large. The anti-Hindi agitations of the 1960s, which forced the central government to retain English as an associate official language, demonstrated the perils of linguistic majoritarianism. Today, non-Hindi states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka continue to view English as a bulwark against cultural domination. Shah’s vision of a linguistically homogenous India risks reopening these old wounds.

English occupies a paradoxical space in modern India. It is both a marker of privilege and a tool of social mobility. The language generates 9.4% of India’s GDP through the IT sector, dominates higher education and scientific research, and serves as a neutral medium in a nation with 22 official languages. For marginalized communities, English fluency often represents the only path to economic advancement.

Globally, no major economy has achieved technological or scientific dominance by rejecting lingua francas. China mandates Mandarin but aggressively teaches English for international commerce. Japan and Germany balance linguistic pride with pragmatic bilingualism. Even France, which legally enforces the use of French, tolerates English in corporate and academic spheres. India’s challenge is more complex due to its unparalleled linguistic diversity, making top-down language planning inherently contentious.

Shah’s invocation of 2047—the centenary of Indian independence—as a deadline for linguistic transformation reveals the government’s long-term cultural ambitions. However, his rhetoric of “shame” is a polarizing motivator. Language policy succeeds when it incentivizes rather than coerces. Kerala’s model of near-universal literacy alongside multilingual proficiency offers a more sustainable template than zero-sum linguistic nationalis

Technological solutions could bridge this divide. AI-driven translation tools and vernacular content platforms could democratize access to knowledge without sacrificing global connectivity. The Indian government’s ambitious Bhashini project, which aims to create a digital ecosystem for Indian languages, suggests recognition of this need.

The debate over English in India is ultimately a debate about power—who wields it, and who gets left behind. Amit Shah’s vision of linguistic purity resonates with cultural revivalists but stokes fears of exclusion among linguistic minorities and aspirational communities. A progressive language policy would celebrate India’s multilingual tapestry while retaining English as a shared resource

As India aspires to global leadership, it must wield both its civilizational heritage and its cosmopolitan strengths. The true test of linguistic sovereignty lies not in rejecting global languages but in ensuring that local languages thrive alongside them. In a nation of 1.4 billion, language must remain a bridge, not a battleground.

20-06-2025

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