Kerala Ministers Criticize Amit Shah's Anti-English Remarks

Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 20 (PTI) - Kerala Ministers R Bindu and V Sivankutty have voiced strong criticism against Union Minister Amit Shah's reported comments disparaging the English language.

Both ministers expressed that such remarks reflect a "restrictive and narrow-minded" political perspective, which they find "condemnable".

R Bindu, who serves as the State Higher Education Minister, emphasized the global prominence of English as a universal means of communication, both in daily interactions and on the internet.

"Dismissing the value of learning English or suggesting it is an embarrassment would inevitably narrow the horizons for the youth," she remarked, responding to media inquiries regarding Shah's statement.

She further commented, "India cannot be viewed as isolated from the world, making the learning of English a necessity."

Reports suggest that Union Home Minister Shah stated that soon in India, the use of English would be considered a matter of shame.

V Sivankutty, the State General Education Minister, echoed Bindu's sentiments, describing Shah's remarks as "condemnable" and asserting the equal importance of all languages.

"No language holds superiority over another," Sivankutty declared, underlining the significance of English as a critical tool for international communication and knowledge enhancement that can aid national progress.

He assured that the Kerala government remains committed to nurturing all languages, ensuring that students retain the choice to pursue any language they aspire to learn.

"Linguistic diversity is a core strength and virtue of India that must be safeguarded," he added.

Addressing the prominence of native languages, Bindu clarified that Hindi was not India's mother tongue given the nation's rich linguistic tapestry.

"The Eighth Schedule of the Constitution lists 22 official languages. India's linguistic diversity is a treasure that cannot be confined to a single language," she emphasized.

She went on to dissect Shah's statement into two dimensions.

"On one hand, there's an effort to constrict the view of the youth by discouraging English learning. On the other hand, there's an apparent drive to impose Hindi."

"Collectively, this signifies a restrictive and narrow-minded political ideology," she concluded.

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