Amish Tripathi says PM Modi's Hindi fluency is his biggest strength, slams trolls for criticizing his English skills

Mumbai, July 7

Reacting to the recent trolling over the Prime Minister's English, Tripathi criticized those who mock leaders for not speaking in English and urged people to take pride in Indian languages. In an exclusive interview with IANS, Amish Tripathi acknowledged that English has become essential in today’s job market and society but stressed that it should not come at the cost of one’s self-respect or pride in native languages. He expressed concern over the pressure to speak English and criticized the mindset that looks down upon those who choose to communicate in Hindi or other Indian languages.

Amish Tripathi stated, “I'm not against English. In a way, learning English has become mandatory. If you want a good job, you have to learn English. In our family, our generation is the first generation to go to an English-medium school. Our parents studied in a Hindi-medium school. So let me repeat, I'm not against English. And I'm not against the influence of English.”

Using PM Modi as an example, the celebrated author said it's wrong to mock someone for not speaking English fluently, especially when they weren’t educated in English-medium schools. “He speaks fluently in Hindi without notes. That should be appreciated. If he wants to speak in English, fine—but mocking him for it is simply not right.” He also compared India to other countries, where leaders proudly speak in their native languages—whether it’s French President Emmanuel Macron, Russian President Vladimir Putin, or leaders from Japan and China. “No one makes fun of them for not speaking English. So why should we do that here?”

Amish Tripathi concluded by reinforcing his belief that while the influence of English can be positive, the pressure to speak it should not come at the cost of one's self-worth or national pride. “It’s time we get rid of the pressure and take pride in our own languages,” he said.

Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was trolled by a section of people on social media for not speaking fluent English during the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada. This wasn’t the first time he faced such criticism—at several past events too, the Prime Minister has been mocked by some for choosing to speak in Hindi or for not using English in formal international meetings.

— IANS