Do people from India consider English their primary language?


I was watching an rerun episode of the Big Bang Theory the other night. And, a character who is from India (Rajesh) is losing an argument with the following dialog:



Raj: Okay, well, let me just tell you, if we were having this argument in my native language, I’d be kicking your butt.


Sheldon: English is your native language.


Raj: Okay, you got me there.



I was wondering about the truth of this statement. Is English really a native language in India? Do many/most Indian English speakers consider it to be their primary language? Or is it a heavily spoken second language because of its official status and commonality compared to the linguistic diversity within the sub-continent?


Are people in India largely true bi-linguals in the sense of having two native languages which occupy separate compartments within their consciousness. (Not to begin another topic of conversation, but people of this sort often make bad translators due to this compartmentalization.)


This question was brought to my consciousness again by the discussion section of another question I've posted.



Answer



India is a huge country with over 20 (not exactly sure) vernaculars. The official language varies from state to state. Although Hindi is "used for official purposes" (according to Wikipedia), not all people from all states speak Hindi.


English is widely spoken, and most schools in urban India use English as the medium of instruction.


I would say Indians are multi-lingual rather than bilingual. To be precise, English is not the native language, but if you know English and land in India you will not be lost. More than half the population can speak/understand English.


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