This refers to the article, “No less an Indian language” (July 15) by Kushan Mitra. The article reeks of colonialism. About five per cent to 10 per cent of our population has acquaintance with English; and just about three per cent may have reasonable knowledge of the language. Most of the so-called English-speaking people have a vocabulary of around 2,000 words. The vocabulary of an educated Indian in his or her mother-tongue would be least 10,000 words. Richness of one's cultural and social life depends upon one's ease with words.
It would be decades before English became what you call as “no less an Indian language”. But we must prevent it and protect our languages which are rich and have enough depth to understand technical subjects as well. languages carry and impart their culture, and our culture is more humane than what the West has to offer.