Our debates on language are often detached from practical reality; the truth is that in India, the usage of English is already much more pervasive than people acknowledge. Languages borrow from the English with abandon. Whatever part of the country we are from, we talk on mobile phones and say "hello", "thank you" and "happy birthday". Whatever language one speaks, texting uses the Roman alphabet (in convenient Indian English keyboards), and emailing in any other script is unheard of. We have English words for many parts of daily life, and every Indian language relies on them. Would a car mechanic, electrician or postal worker be able to conduct tradecraft without some English? Do we have a well-developed and widely known vocabulary of medical jargon in any other Indian language? Every city has its own impressive English slang. How long can people hold a simple conversation on their own without using any English words? The convenience that even a passable knowledge of English lends to general communication is unparalleled. English is most popular in parts of India where the opposition to the opposition to the homogenising 'Hindi, Hindu, Hindutva' agenda is strongest. The NEP's refusal to consider English as an Indian language is simply a backhanded effort to impose Hindi nationwide, restricting the autonomy of schools and States. In Tamil Nadu, a two-language policy has worked successfully for decades. Children have continued learning Tamil while also benefiting from the practical advantages of English. The NEP threatens this, and will not be acceptable to the people of Tamil Nadu. English is the global lingua franca; it is the world's preferred language of commerce, science, diplomacy and culture. Competence in English has enabled India to establish itself in these areas and its diaspora to thrive across the world, especially in the field of technology. The association between English and stable, well-paying careers is obvious and apparent.