English is "empowering" not "shameful" and must be taught to every child, Congress MP and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said on Friday, alleging that the BJP-RSS don't want poor children to learn the language because they don't want them to ask questions and attain equality.
Gandhi's comments came a day after Union home minister Amit Shah's reported remarks on English.
In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said, "English is not a dam, it is a bridge. English is not shameful, it is empowering. English is not a chain -- it is a tool to break the chains. The BJP-RSS don't want poor kids of India to learn English - because they don't want you to ask questions, move ahead, and attain equality."
In today's world, English is as important as one's mother tongue because it will provide employment and boost one's confidence, Gandhi said. "Every language of India has soul, culture, knowledge. We have to cherish them — and at the same time teach English to every child. This is the path to an India that competes with the world, that gives every child an equal opportunity," he also said.
Shah had reportedly said that soon, those speaking English in India would "feel ashamed".
Joining the debate, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien said India has 22 constitutionally recognised languages and 19,500 languages and dialects and this is the 'unity in diversity' of our country.
In a video statement, the TMC Parliamentary Party leader in the Rajya Sabha said 97 per cent of Indians use one of the recognised languages as their mother tongue as he accused the Centre of not understanding this.
"In India, 97 per cent people use one of the 22 constitutionally recognised languages as their mother tongue, 19,500 languages and dialects are used as mother tongues. This is the 'unity in diversity' of our great nation. Amit Shah, PM Narendra Modi and gang will never understand this," O'Brien said.
His party colleague and fellow MP Sagarika Ghose took to X and said Indians should not be ashamed of any language. "English is a link language across India, it's aspirational, confers a global advantage and knowledge of English is demanded by millions. Indians should not be "ashamed" of any language," she said.
The 22 languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution are Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.
In 1950, when the Constitution was adopted, Article 343 declared that Hindi would be the official language and English would serve as an additional official language for a period not exceeding 15 years. The Official Languages Act, 1963 made a provision for the continuation of English as an official language alongside Hindi, coming into effect on 26 January 1965.
It says English should continue to be used for all the official purposes of the Union and for transaction of business in Parliament. The Act also says English shall be used for purposes of communication between the Union and a state which has not adopted Hindi as its official language.
Also on Friday, Kerala ministers R. Bindu and V. Sivankutty criticised Shah's recent reported remarks, claiming that they indicate a "restrictive and narrow-minded" political view and are "condemnable".
Bindu, the state higher education minister, said English is the most widely used language across the world to communicate with each other and also on the internet. "The view that children should not learn English or that it will be embarrassing would only lead to their world becoming more restrictive.
"Moreover, India is not an isolated island in the world. So, learning English is becoming a necessity," she said, answering reporters' queries regarding Shah's remarks.
Speaking along similar lines, state general education minister Sivankutty termed Shah's remarks as "condemnable" and said "no language was higher or lower than another".
"Each language has its own importance. English, as an international language, is an important means of knowledge and communication. It can only help in the progress of the country," he said in a statement.
Sivankutty said the Kerala government was committed to promoting all languages and ensuring that students have the freedom to choose the languages they want to study. "Linguistic diversity is the strength of our country, and it needs to be protected," he added.
Bindu, meanwhile, said when giving prominence to the mother tongue, it can be said that Hindi is not the mother tongue of India, as the country is home to a wide variety of languages. "There are 22 official languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. This diversity of languages in India is a treasure trove," she said, and added that all of it cannot be reduced to one language.
Bindu said there were two sides to Shah's statement. "One is that he intends to restrict the world of the younger generation by saying don't learn English. The other side is the imposition of Hindi. All of it indicates a restrictive and narrow-minded political view," she said.
Edited PTI copy
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