Society and Business

Session 15

Salamah Ansari

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 Module
The Politics of Language in India

• India’s linguistic diversity and the debates on common

language(s)

• The role of language as a medium of education

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Disagreements regarding language in the
context of partition on religious lines.
 Article 351

• Directive for development of the Hindi language- It shall be

the duty of the Union to promote the spread of the Hindi
language, to develop it so that it may serve as a medium of
expression for all the elements of the composite culture of
India and to secure its enrichment by assimilating without
interfering with its genius, the forms, style and expressions
used in Hindustani and in the other languages of India
specified in the Eighth Schedule, and by drawing, wherever
necessary or desirable, for its vocabulary, primarily on
Sanskrit and secondarily on other languages.

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 Introduction

• Linguistic democracy in multilingual country

• Hindi India vs. diverse linguistic union

• Constitutional Scheme + Official Language policy- Hierarchical

• Discrimination reinforces cultural self reassertion and cultural

pride

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 Part XVII- Four Chapters

1. Official Language

2. Regional Language

3. Language of the SC and HC

4. Special Directives

3 Language Policy- Reductionist Policy 6

 Why was it believed by the constituent
assembly that it was not possible to give equal
treatment to languages?
 Uniformity over Unity

• Multilingual situation incompatible with Indian unity

• Domination of elite majority

• Rights of linguistic minorities compromised

• Linguistic fragmentation of national sensibilities

• Rise of regional languages also leads to a rise in sub-national

politics

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Official Language of the Union

Vs.

National language
• Increasingly we are in danger of fragmentation

– National Level- Hindi and English

– Regional Level- Scheduled and non-scheduled
– Implications in Education
– Elitism in India has caste as a major constituents

• In a danger of unity that is tenuous and conducted

only at superficial level

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 The Need for a Link Language

• Colonial moorings of love for English language

• Obsession with English- Sankrant Sanu

• Casteless Society through a casteless language

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 Language Policy In Education

1. Access to primary education in mother tongue.

2. Four Language policy

a) Hindi States: Hindi, English, dominant regional language, one

southern language

b) Non- Hindi States: Hindi, English, dominant regional language, minor

regional language

How about the north- eastern Languages?

And tribal languages?
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