Should Our Kids Dream of Space and Technology?

Sabeer Bhatia, the co-founder of Hotmail, raised an important question — Should children envision futures filled with space exploration, robotics, and advanced language models, or should they reflect on life prior to British colonisation?

His comments were a critical response to a rising narrative from the nation’s political elite suggesting that the usage of English correlates with cultural decline. This statement emerged during renewed discussions sparked by Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s claim that those who converse in English in India “will soon feel ashamed.”

In a post shared on X (previously known as Twitter), Bhatia stated, “Incredible strategy a leader has for our nation: cease speaking English or experience shame. Do we aspire to progress or revert to the past? Should our youth dream of space, robotics, and advanced language models, or reflect on eras before the British established their rule? Words escape me…”

Incredible strategy a leader has for our nation: cease speaking English or experience shame. Do we aspire to progress or revert to the past? Should our youth dream of space, robotics, and advanced language models, or reflect on eras before the British established their rule? Words escape me…

In an additional comment, Bhatia expressed, “The universe reciprocates what you contribute — that’s karma. I hold immense appreciation for the legacy of the English: language, education, infrastructure, and governance. Thanks to this, I had the opportunity to travel to the US, thrive, and follow my dreams. Why direct blame towards them instead of extending gratitude?”

His remarks seem to be a direct rebuttal to the recent assertion made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who indicated that “English speakers in the nation will soon experience shame.” Shah articulated this perspective during a book launch, accentuating the importance of Indian languages in maintaining national identity.

“In this nation, soon those who converse in English will feel ashamed — the emergence of such a society is imminent. I believe our vernacular languages are the treasures of our cultural heritage. Without our languages, we are not truly Indian,” Shah articulated.

He advocated for a cultural revival centred around native languages, depicting English as a remnant of colonialism. “To grasp our country, our culture, our history, and our faith, no foreign language can adequately convey this. The vision of a united India cannot be conceived through diluted foreign languages,” he emphasised.

Further affirming his stance, Shah conveyed his optimism regarding the movement to elevate Indian languages. “I acknowledge the challenges associated with this struggle, but I am confident that Indian society will triumph. Once more, with dignity, we will govern our nation in our own languages and also take the lead globally,” he added.

Amit Shah’s comments arrive at a moment when certain southern and opposition-led states have accused the Centre of imposing Hindi through the enforcement of the ‘three-language formula’ as part of the New Education Policy (NEP).