Overview

• Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on June 19 that speaking English will soon be shameful in India, adding that native tongues are key to understanding the nation’s culture and identity.
• He tied the remarks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Panch Pran’ pledges and cited the newly launched Bharatiya Bhasha Anubhag as a step to reduce reliance on foreign languages in governance.
• Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the statement on June 20, describing English as an empowering bridge and accusing BJP and RSS of wanting to limit poor children’s access to education and opportunity.
• Kerala ministers R Bindu and V Sivankutty labelled the comments narrow-minded and warned that discouraging English proficiency would restrict students’ global engagement.
• CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar and TMC’s Derek O’Brien argued the push against English masks an effort to impose Hindi and weaken India’s diverse linguistic heritage.