Shashi Tharoor Challenges Modi: Ditch the “Macaulay Mindset,” Not the English Language

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has entered a heated national debate. He argues India must reject a colonial mentality, not the English language itself. His comments respond directly to recent criticisms by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Tharoor outlined his position in a detailed editorial. He contends English has become a tool for Indian empowerment and global connection.

Separating Language from a Legacy of Subjugation

The author-politician acknowledges the dark origins of English education in India. He cites Thomas Macaulay’s infamous 1835 Minute. According to Tharoor, Macaulay aimed to create a servile class for British administration.

Macaulay dismissed India’s vast native literature with arrogance. Tharoor writes in the Indian Express that this established a damaging hierarchy. Western knowledge was privileged while Indian traditions were systematically denigrated.

This created a lasting “colonial hangover,” Tharoor argues. He says the problem is the mindset that equates English with superiority. That specific mindset is what deserves criticism today.

A Weapon of Resistance and a Modern Bridge

History delivered an ironic twist, Tharoor explains. The English-educated class Macaulay envisioned became leaders of the Indian independence movement. The language of the ruler was transformed into a weapon of resistance.

Today, English holds a complex, dual status in India. Politicians often rhetorically attack it as a colonial residue. Meanwhile, families across the economic spectrum seek English education for their children as a path to opportunity.

Tharoor agrees English has served India well on the global stage. He insists, however, that it must not remain the sole validator of knowledge or worth. The goal is to integrate global English with robust Indian roots.

The core of the debate is clear. India’s challenge is to shed the Macaulay mindset while fully embracing a confident, modern identity. The language itself is now an Indian asset, not a foreign imposition.

Thought you’d like to know

What is the “Macaulay mindset”?

It refers to a colonial-era superiority complex. This mindset values Western knowledge over Indian traditions and uses language as a tool of cultural subjugation.

What was PM Modi’s recent criticism?

At the HT Leadership Summit, PM Modi criticized Macaulay’s 1835 education reforms. He stated they sowed seeds of a “colonial mindset” or “mindset of slavery” in India.

What is Shashi Tharoor’s main argument?

Tharoor argues that the English language itself is not the problem. He says India must reject the inferiority complex linked to colonialism while keeping English as a practical tool for progress.

How did English become a “weapon of resistance”?

Tharoor notes that Indian nationalists used English to argue for independence from British rule. They mastered the colonizer’s language to dismantle the logic of the empire effectively.

What is the current status of English in India?

English remains an aspirational language for economic mobility. It is also an official government language and a crucial bridge for India’s global IT and services exports.