Teaching of English to poor
English, which the Indian nationalists once denounced as "a tool of colonialism," has now become not only the lingua franca of multilingual India, but also a major asset in its rise as a global IT superpower. Now members of India's underprivileged caste, the untouchables or "Dalits" (downtrodden), are clamouring for access to English which is monopolised by English-educated upper castes. The Dalits have gone one step further and erected a granite temple dedicated to what they call "the Goddess English," hailing her as a deity of liberation from poverty and ignorance.
Computer pedestal resonates today especially due to the association of English with India's technology boom, which is responsible for creating a new middle class of software programmers. These programmers are India's English-speaking elites who are almost entirely composed of members of higher castes. The Dalits want a share of India's prosperity by learning English. Shyam Babu, a Dalit scholar agrees: "English is no longer just a language -- it's a skill. Without it you remain an unskilled labourer."
Although Bangladesh has no such untouchable caste, its poor have very little access to teaching of English. With millions of Bangladeshis seeking work abroad, proficiency in English is becoming crucial to their success in foreign lands.
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