excerpt from “Ambedkar’s English: A Language of Liberation,” argues passionately in favour of English-medium education in India, framing it as a crucial tool for liberation, particularly for Dalits, Adivasis, and Shudras. The author, Prof. Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd, contends that English should be viewed not as Macaulay’s colonial language, but as “Ambedkar’s English,” due to its role in empowering historically oppressed groups. The text highlights a strong political and cultural opposition to English from parties like the BJP and RSS, as well as certain state leaders, who often promote Hindi or regional languages while hypocritically sending their own children to English-medium schools. Furthermore, the author presents the example of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Kamaraj Nadar as a model leader who understood the necessity of English for socio-economic upliftment, comparing his efforts favourably to others. Ultimately, the piece positions English as an essential “weapon of liberation” that allows oppressed communities to connect globally and challenge the caste system.
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Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd 