Re: India's HDI Improves, Ranking Doesn't

[Anthony D'Costa <dcosta@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This is hard to estimate but the numbers that float around, are 3-4% of
the population, which is not a small number by any means.  English has
been both a uniting factor (in a national sense) but also one that sets
the rural-urban and class divide more forcefully.  Indians want their
children to go to English medium schools, irrespective of social,
regional, religious, class background.  But few can afford to and not
all are good in terms of substance.  But there is severe competitition
severe from the demand side.  The CPM (Communist Party of India
(Marxist) in West Bengal, which has ruled the state for nearly
quarter century, initially did away with teaching English in
government schools.  It was a bad decision from the very beginning,
which made the students, who were otherwise very bright, disadvantaged
compared to those with English abilities.  They rescinded that policy
not too long ago.

But speaking English in India does not necessarily translate into being
more "westernized."  It is one of several languages that Indians come to
learn.

cheers, anthony

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Anthony P. D'Costa, Associate Professor
Comparative International Development
University of Washington                        Campus Box 358436
1900 Commerce Street
Tacoma, WA 98402, USA

Phone: (253) 692-4462
Fax :  (253) 692-5718
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

On Thu, 22 Jul 2004, Doug Henwood wrote:

> Anthony D'Costa wrote:
>
> >There are other splits, which have been better handled, for example language.
> >Thus far 20 languages or so have been recognized by the government.
>
> How widely used is English?
>
> Doug
>