English: official or foreign language?
We are extremely proud of our rich Bengali heritage and literature and the Language Movement of 1952 which gave us a unique global platform as a nation. In 1913, Tagore became the first Asian Nobel laureate for 'Geetanjali'. He is the only author to compose 2 national anthems-- of India and B'desh. He was fluent in Hindi and English also.
To compete globally, we need to have a much greater use of English in our education system. I feel we are lagging far behind as a nation and need to address this urgently. It is not uncommon to see a graduate from B'desh not being able to speak a few words of English in the UK. Is this person illiterate? Definitely not. I feel he is being let down by the education system very badly. Our 'leaders' would send their offspring to the UK or USA 'to study' while preaching about Bengali language and culture to rest of the 'unfortunate population'. I feel it is about time this ancient system is completely transformed.
We only need to look at our mighty neighbour India for inspiration. There are 8 major religions, 22 official languages and 28 states in India. Hindi is the official language of only 10 states. So it is no wonder English found its way as a national educational medium and is shaping up the country's future at a fast pace. Today India's fierce emergence as an intellectual and economic superpower on global stage has been possible by its diverse and dynamic approach.
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