78 years of freedom
Language diversity and multilingual ethos are among the basic characteristics of India. This feature is not new in the country, because even in ancient times, there was an area that included contemporary India, home to several languages such as Sanskrit, Tamil, Pali, Prakrit and Persian, except that it was open to the positive influence of many foreign languages. It is quite clear that the country has a long and healthy tradition of multilingualism, unlike the illicit identity, which once formed the European National State model.
Being home to five language families (Indo-European (Aryan, Iranian and Germanic), Davidian, Austriac, Tibeto-Burm and Semito-Hamitic), India until the end of the 19th century, 179 languages and 544 dialects, according to Linguist survey Sir George Griesons of India). The document of the Ministry of Education of the Center, which quotes 1989 publications, states that “there are at least 50 Indian languages in which writing and publishing are performed in a substantial amount.”
The census in 2011, the last such exercise, allocates 22 planned languages, which means that in the eighth schedule they represent the institute and 99 unplanned languages to five families of languages. These 121 languages and 270 maternal languages are grouped in different languages according to the census. Indian literature is a testimony to the rich heritage of the country, intellectual, social, historical and cultural. It also contributed to the continuity of the system of social values of people and at the same time maintained compliance with the changes that sweep the world. Sahitya Academy, Indian National Academy of Letters, preserves and promotes literature in 24 languages, including English. Literary traditions of different languages are strong and healthy and emphasize the idea of unity.
Entrance to the back door
Given this background, no attempt by those who are in power to force monoculture or monolingualism, apparently or hidden, did not find the recipient. It is this factor that works for concern and concerns of people in the southern region of the country that their language or culture could get into the persecution of any political project towards uniformity. National Educational Policy (NEP), 2020, although clearly avoided the aspect of mandatory Hindu teaching, unlike the previous two political documents of 1968 and 1986, is still perceived by parts of society in the south as trying to facilitate Hindi’s entry in the back of school education.
In fact, the recent discussion in the Maharaštře that the teachings of Hindi mandatory as the third language in the basic classes (1 to 5) of all English and marathi secondary schools downstream of the State Council and subsequent withdrawal of the step contributed to concerns about the problem of Hindi storage. Although political considerations prevailed over other reasons for Mahashtra’s decision to withdraw their decisions, the explosion of the opposition in the Western state – its capital, Mumbai, is the nerve center of the Hind cinema – only emphasized the gentle social balance with regard to the language question.
University students who were published in Coimbatore in 1965 in Coimbatore as part of the anti-Hindic agitation in Tamil Nadu. | Photo Credit: Hinde Archives
Because of politics, Tamil Nadu is the only southern state that has become a pattern of three languages. His attitude on this issue-Opposition to a formula that was set under NEP, 2020-century state quite substantially IZ monetary conditions, because the BJP government led in accordance with DMK-System (SSS) (SSS) (SSS) (SSS) (SSS) (SSS) (SSS) (SSS) (SSS) (SSS) (SSS) (SSS) (SSS) (SSS) (SSS) (SSS) (SSS) (SSS) (SSS) (SSS) (SSS) (SSS) (SSS) (SSS) (SSS) (SSS) (SSS) (SSS) (RTE) (RTE).
Despite the fact that they differ with Tamil over the formula, however, Kerala is where the LDF regime is in power for 10. The following year, against Hindi storage. Although important representatives of the Central Government continue to assure that non -Nonindic speakers will no longer be stored, the latter minds will suspect because they take every opportunity not only to be screened as guardians of the Hindi language, but also reduce western (English) education. There is nothing wrong with making efforts to provide the medium of teaching in the mother tongue of students and acquiring educational materials written in such languages, but in the name of such work there is no need to prove an aversion to English whose value as a language has much wider connotations than any other Indian language.
Give and take
In fact, this principle – no aversion to any language – is good for those who complain of Hinda storage, because some of them show opposition to Hindi and Sanskrit on the basis of both languages representing “cultural hegemony” in northern India. It should not be forgotten that every language, including those who are in a predoric family, have advantages that they have constant interactions between themselves, except that they affect each other. In this respect, various forms of fine art and writing in each language have shown how they absorb, assimilate and decorate themselves by observing the part of other languages. The Indian cinema is one platform where cross pollination is often happening.
Ideally, the mother tongue should be the medium of teaching at least in primary education. Over the years, however, the lack of importance for language studies in schools has created at least one generation of parents whose knowledge of the mother tongue itself is not healthy. In addition, the policy of the local language learning in some countries, including Tamil Nadu and Telangana, up to the 10th year in all schools, regardless of stream, creates problems for students whose parents migrate to such states when their children are in the middle of school education. In such circumstances, the state governments and school management must be flexible, considerate and imaginative in order to allow students to continue their studies in the English medium.
No language is a dividing tool. This must be remembered by anyone who should respect all other languages, while he is aware of the size of his mother tongue. It is time to end weapons for political persecution and government, both on Wednesday and in the states, should take meaningful steps to promote and maintain Indian languages.
Published – August 15 2025 01:04 IS
