Try GOLD - Free
The Case for English in India
Hindustan Times Patna
|June 28, 2025
Its foreignness long gone, English is the passport to social and economic mobility
-
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.
This story is from the June 28, 2025 edition of Hindustan Times Patna.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM Hindustan Times Patna
Hindustan Times Patna
Cong announces protest after Nat’l Herald verdict
The Congress on Wednesday announced a nationwide protest against the Narendra Modi government, a day after a Delhi court refused to take cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate's allegations of money laundering against top party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case.
2 mins
December 18, 2025
Hindustan Times Patna
The end of MGNREGS
VB-G RAM G's funding and administrative structure should strengthen and expand rural jobs, not weaken the scheme
2 mins
December 18, 2025
Hindustan Times Patna
Gunman charged with 59 offences including murder
Australian authorities charged the surviving gunman in Sydney Hanukkah attack that killed 15 with 59 offences, including murder and terrorism, Bloomberg reported.
2 mins
December 18, 2025
Hindustan Times Patna
US readies new sanctions if Putin rejects peace deal
The US is preparing a fresh round of sanctions on Russia's energy sector to increase the pressure on Moscow should President Vladimir Putin reject a peace agreement with Ukraine, according to people familiar with the matter.
1 min
December 18, 2025
Hindustan Times Patna
I was choking on stage: Delhi AQI forces Kavita Seth to cancel Mumbai gig
Singer Kavita Seth has spoken about a harrowing live performance in Delhi, where the severely deteriorating air quality left her struggling to breathe on stage and ultimately forced her to cancel a subsequent concert in Mumbai.
1 min
December 18, 2025
Hindustan Times Patna
From sedition to UAPA: Policing dissent in India
Few laws reveal the Indian State's unease with dissent as starkly as sedition.
3 mins
December 18, 2025
Hindustan Times Patna
Can diet hold a key to cancer control?
Cancer still remains a prominent cause of mortality across the globe.
1 mins
December 18, 2025
Hindustan Times Patna
America-first compass for new security strategy
The US's new National Security Strategy signals a “hands-off” approach towards matters that are not of American interests. All tools will be used to ensure the US's primacy remains intact
5 mins
December 18, 2025
Hindustan Times Patna
Rishab reacts to Ranveer's Kantara mimicry controversy
At the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, actor Ranveer Singh courted controversy when he mimicked daivas on stage.
1 min
December 17, 2025
Hindustan Times Patna
The path before India as Bangladesh transitions
New Delhi's approach must balance immediate pressures with longer- term vision and tactical adjustments with strategic consistency
4 mins
December 17, 2025
Listen
Translate
Change font size