Language is a tool—a tool to communicate, and prosper; prosper socially, psychologically and
economically; and ultimately be happy with oneself.
Getting down to the brass tacks, language, incidentally, has no race,
caste, creed, and religion. Though Greek and Latin were not from Britain, its
elite were not considered elite unless they had mastery over these languages; Sir
Isaac Newton wrote Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia
Mathematica ("mathematical principles of natural philosophy")
in Latin.
English has indeed become a link language—today's Sanskrit—of India, a nation of bewildering multiplicity of
languages, facilitating a Bengali speak to a Marathi; a Hindusthani to a Tamilian;
a Gujarathi to an Oriya. It is English, as the tool of communication that is
`binding' the academic India `together'. It is India's language of `international
intercourse.' It continues to remain as the associate official language of India. It is no exaggeration to say that no person can keep abreast of scientific
developments, for that matter modern developments in any walk of life, unless
he masters the language in which more than two-thirds of the world's
periodical literature is produced. And that lingua franca of the world is English. |
