English is important not because a number of…

English is important not because a number of people know it, although it is a factor to be remembered. It is not important because it is the language of Milton and Shakespeare, although that also has to be considered. English is important because it is the major window on the modern world. And we dare not close that window. If we close it, we imperil our future. Be it industrialization, scientific development and technology, every door of modern knowledge will be closed if we do not have one or more foreign languages. We can have French, German or Russian, if you like, but obviously it is infinitely simpler for us to deal with a language which we know than to shift over to French, German, Russian or Spanish which will be a tremendous job. Every competent scientist today has to know two or three non-native languages. In the present age of industrialization, mechanization, scientific progress and research, we cannot progress without knowledge of English or, for that matter, French, German or Russian.