ABSTRACT
Even so, English has been overtly politicized in postcolonial India in spite of its constitutional status as an Indian language and as the second official language along with Hindi. The tirade against English in a state like West Bengal, ruled by the Left front, is symbolic in that it is a fight against imperialism. In the northern states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the slogan “Angreji Hatao” (remove English) has more to it than simply a fight against a colonial legacy. At one level the movement seeks to ensure the superiority of the Hindi language, and at another, it participates in the politics of caste. English is identified with the educated upper caste, politically categorized as the dominant class. They are pitted against the dalits and other marginalized castes that constitute the vote bank of some of the political parties. Nonetheless, globalization has brought in its wake a radical change in the attitudes of people toward English in all walks of life, including those who were earlier opposed to it. Instead of being a symbol of imperialism and identified with a certain class or caste of people, English is now considered as the language of opportunity, thanks to multinational corporations, free trade, and outsourcing of software services. It is one of the most sought after curricular subjects as each state in the country, in spite of the ideological inclinations of the ruling class, has started acknowledging its functional primacy. Mastery of the English language now equates with economic success. This impetus is catalyzed in different ways: for example, English is now a required subject from the first grade in West Bengal and from the third grade in states such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
