The ‘halo’ of English

“The sun never sets on the British Empire” was a very famous saying. For a little over a hundred years, from the beginning of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th century it was almost true. How a nation, less than half the size of Rajasthan, managed to extend its sovereignty over a better part of the globe was sheer grit and excellent managerial skills. Now, that the sun has finally set on the Empire, the British do not reign supreme but their language does.

The vice –the grip that the English language has cast on the societies across the demographic barriers is astonishing. So much so that people not conversant with its usage are considered illiterate and unsophisticated.

The present generation is compelled to learn the language because of sheer economic necessity. Our struggle for freedom against the British was pioneered by despising this very language and developing a feeling of bonding with Hindi and our mother tongues.

 A lot of pride was taken at one time in associating oneself with Hindi, but with increasing foreign participation in our industrial growth and a shift of job preferences from the public sector to the private sector, Hindi is losing its glint in comparison to English. 

The importance of English is evident from the very fact that you lose half the value of your qualifications and their credibility if you cannot reply in English during an interview.

With the onslaught of multinationals, which have forayed in India in a big way, the need for fluent and flawless English has amplified. People working with multinational companies say that to work with such companies you have to be fluent in English to complement your qualification. Students, on the other hand, feel that being fluent in English can make the difference between your being selected in an interview or not. Teachers and enlightened citizens opine that good English is not only important for communicating but also in socializing and provides a boost to career opportunities.

In the present context, it is very important to encourage our forthcoming generations to be well versed with this language however ironical it might seem for Hindustanis. Because it is better to blend with the changing times rather than lamenting afterwards.