Sachidanandan revisited.
<<Globalisation, in the field of culture, is but a monologue of power that reasserts colonial imaginaries through discourses of domination….Lifestyles, dress codes, food habits and behavioral norms are imported, along with modes of thought and systems of knowledge…>>
That is a political statement.
He worries about cultural domination.
He's against it. Lose our soul. Neo-colonialism. Etc.
Fair enough.
But then he makes an erroneous leap.
<<The language of this game is, of course, English that is already threatening to wipe out our languages.>>
Resist English! Protect India!
I don't think so. Though, admittedly, English-speaking Indians will of course be more open to influences he abhors. In other words, their horizons will be broadened.
But will the act of giving Indian children an English-language capability make India become somehow less "Indian"? I don't think so.
My points in reply, I thought, were obvious: the historical process of establishing a new, global "lingua franca" is ongoing, well-established, and it gives those with dual-language capabilities a leg up.
Thank you for establishing and maintaining this thread. I think it is a wonderful tool for "broadening horizons." Good luck with it.
Best wishes,
Tom
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