Let me respond to the topic at hand by posing a question. Do you think there are no thieves, robbers, murderers, rapists in English speaking countries? I think you have got your answer. The association of the use of a certain language or a particular dialect of the language concerned with social respectability has always been prevalent since the olden days.
If one looks up the history books, one would find that there was a time when the written doctrines of a popular religion was prohibited to be translated into English. There were, I am sure, many questionable reasons behind such indignation towards the English language. But, one thing is for sure that English was once considered inferior to Latin in England in terms of the respectability it bestowed upon its users in the social sphere. Of course, over the course of history, the narrative changed. English became more widespread and capable enough to sustain itself through its users, whereas Latin became a showpiece item in the language bank of a handful of educated people in Great Britain.
The effect of British colonialism made English a symbol of power and to a certain extent, an object of fear mixed with awe. From fear came respect and from respect the desire to be associated with the British rulers. They were considered far superior to the natives by many of the colonized.
The language of the king represented the king. This very notion of honour and grandeur which the mass associated at that time was marketed wisely in such a manner that in India today most of us remain in awe when we hear someone speak English fluently. Obviously, a language represents a culture. But, does its use ensure that someone's core characteristics would be noble? I do not think so.
One must be a good user of English. But, it does not guarantee that one is a good person as well. At the same time, if one is not proficient in English, it does not imply that one is not a good human being. However, given the present circumstances, the chances of getting a respectable job are poor if one is not good at English overall. So, even if one gets respect in India on the basis of one's English language skills, it will not last for long if one does not capitalize on it.
What do you think?
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