English plays a conflicting double role in India. The presentation is an excerpt from the research paper by E. Annamalai from Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysore. This presentation is made for academic learning purposes.

1. Excerpt from
Satan and Sarasvati: The Double
Face of English in India
E. ANNAMALAI
Central Institute of Indian Languages
Mysore

2. Abstract
• English plays a conflicting double role in India
in policy and practice, in public platform and
private choice, and in symbolic allegiance, and
instrumental use. After independence, a
pattern of bilingualism has emerged as the
executive, legislative, legal and educational
domains with English and an Indian language.
At the popular level, however, preference for
English has increased in spite of political
opposition to it.

3. • When India attained freedom in 1947, the
British symbols were replaced but the
institutions and instruments were retained.
• This is true of English Language also, which
had symbolic as well as institutional and
instrumental functions. As there was a new
national flag symbolising the emergence of a
new society with new values, pride and power,
there aught to be a new national language.

4. • There was earlier no national language legally
and English was the official language. There
were aspirations and pressures to make Hindi
or Hindustani as the national language of the
new nation, but ultimately, recognising the
multinational character of the country, the
Indian constitution did not speak of the
national language of the Union.

5. • There was no difference of opinion in the Constituent
Assembly, which debated the provisions of the
Constitution, that English will be replaced as the
official language. The differences were only regarding
which language (Hindi or Hindustani) will replace it
and when. The final decision was that it would be Hindi
in Devnagari Script, which will become sole official
language of the Union after 15 years from 1950 when
India became republic until which time English will
continue to be the official language along with Hindi to
be used for official purposes as authorised by the
president of India time to time.

6. • The states of Union can adopt any language or
languages in use in the State as their official
language or languages and they can also continue
the use of English until the time they find suitable
for complete switch over and there is no time
limit prescribed for them…There was growing
political opposition in some States to the
progressive use of Hindi for official purposes.
(Kumaramalangam 1967) in 1963, two years
before the parliament passed the Official
Language Bill (Amended in 1967).

7. • Providing for the continuous use of English
without time limit giving legal status to the
assurance given by the Prime Minister Nehru
in the Parliament to the opponents of Hindi
four years earlier. English is now the associate
language of the Union.

8. • According to the Constitution, English will be
used for all proceedings in the Supreme Court, the
highest court of the Union and High Courts, the
highest courts of the States, until the parliament
legislates otherwise.
• The Official Language Act mentioned above
allowed that the proceedings in the Supreme
Court may be in Hindi and in the High Courts
may be in the States Official Languages, but the
judgment, decree and order must be accompanied
by an authorised translation in English…

9. • Thus the legislative and judicial documents in
the Union and in the States are bilingual in
English and in Indian Language with equal
language authority.

10. • The replacement of English as the medium of
education at the primary and secondary stages has
taken place for all subjects in large number of
schools, though the English medium is still
available, particularly in schools run by private
trusts, minority organizations, missionaries and
the central government. It is an alternative
medium in all stages of school education in all
States and Union Territories which no other
language has including Hindi. (Chaturvedi and
Singh 1981)

11. • English medium is prestigious and in great
demand. For replacement of English in Higher
education (Under-graduate, post-graduate, and
professional colleges), the policy is lukewarm,
and there is strong resistance citing arguments of
academic mobility of teachers and students,
availability of the text and reference materials and
lack of development of Indian Languages,
particularly the technical terms, employment and
research opportunities for students in India and
abroad . (Shah 1968)

12. • There is however, Indian language medium
must be provided compulsorily as an
alternative stream in government colleges in
some states like Tamilnadu. It may be said that
medium of education is potentially bilingual
and Indian languages.

13. • English is taught as a language for its
instrumental value in schools and colleges
compulsorily in almost all parts of the
country..
• At the secondary school stage student should
learn at least three languages and one of them
is English uniformly through the country.