‘Dream of AI or colonial past?’: Sabeer Bhatia reacts sharply to English-Hindi language divide

Sabeer Bhatia, the man who co-founded Hotmail, posed a simple but pointed question — “Should our kids dream of space, robots, and large language models — or imagine life before the British came?” 

He was reacting, sharply, to a growing rhetoric from the country’s top political leadership that appears to equate the use of English with cultural regression. His post came amid a fresh round of debate triggered by Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remark that English speakers in India “would soon feel ashamed.”

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Bhatia wrote, “Amazing plan a leader has for our nation: stop speaking English or feel ashamed. Do we want to move forward or go back in time? Should our kids dream of space, robots, and large language models — or imagine life before the British came? I’m at a loss for words…”

In another post, Bhatia added, "The universe gives back what you give it — that’s karma. I’m deeply grateful for what the English left us: language, education, infrastructure, and governance. Thanks to that, I could come to the US, excel, and live my dream. Why blame them instead of thank them?"

The remark appears to be a direct reaction to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent assertion that “those who speak English in the country would soon feel ashamed.” Shah’s comments came during a book launch, where he emphasised the primacy of Indian languages in preserving national identity.

"In this country, those who speak English will soon feel ashamed — the creation of such a society is not far away. I believe that the languages of our country are the jewels of our culture. Without our languages, we cease to be truly Indian," Shah said.

He called for a cultural reclamation through native languages, framing English as a relic of colonial rule. "To understand our country, our culture, our history, and our religion, no foreign language can suffice. The idea of a complete India cannot be imagined through half-baked foreign languages," he stated.

Doubling down, Shah expressed confidence that the movement to elevate Indian languages would succeed. "I am fully aware of how difficult this battle is, but I am also fully confident that Indian society will win it. Once again, with self-respect, we will run our country in our own languages and lead the world too," he added.

Amit Shah's remarks come at a time when some southern and opposition-ruled states have accused the Centre of imposing Hindi through the implementation of the 'three-language formula' that is a part of the New Education Policy (NEP).