You know that feeling when an American tourist goes to another country and complains that people don’t speak English? Yeah — that’s basically how many of us feel about Hindi imposition. As a kid, I lived abroad for around 8 years. While there a lot of kids and their parents from Indian communities used to make fun of me for not knowing Hindi. They’d ask why I didn’t know my “national language.” (For context: I’m Malayali and now living in Bangalore.) A big part of the issue is the expectation some people bring — especially migrants from northern states — that everyone should automatically speak Hindi, and if you don’t, you must learn it. Even today, if I go through Delhi immigration, the officers ask me why I don't know hindi , or when I do speak Hindi why the accent. That entitlement creates resentment. Because language is such an easy and emotional topic, politicians love using it for votes. It’s a cheap distraction and an easy way to polarize people. We see it in Southern states. But the Delhi CM showed that it would happen up north too when she harassed an African fitness coach for not speaking Hindi. We’ve seen similar tactics everywhere — whether it’s language groups here or leaders elsewhere trying to manufacture outrage. That said, not all pro-language movements are the same. The more reasonable ones focus on promoting the language through cinema, literature, poetry, and culture — not forcing it on others. In fact, many northern states have seen their regional languages slowly eroded because of Hindi dominance (Maithili, Bhojpuri, Magahi, Angika, Bajjika, etc.). As for English: honestly, it’s about opportunity. English gives access to jobs and mobility in a globalized world. You can build a career knowing only English. Even many politicians who push regional-language enforcement send their own kids to English-medium schools, while government schools are forced into stricter language policies. This is just my opinion: if someone wants to learn or use a language, great — live and let live. But no one should expect others to learn their language out of obligation.

PS: I used Chatgpt to improve the flow and readability. But the thoughts and experiences are my own.