LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 23:12 December 2023
ISSN 1930-2940

Editors:
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         T. Deivasigamani, Ph.D.
         Pammi Pavan Kumar, Ph.D.
         Soibam Rebika Devi, M.Sc., Ph.D.

Managing Editor & Publisher: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.

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Language Provision of the Indian Constitution:
A Socio-Cultural Analysis

R. Dhiyanesh, M.A.

Abstract

In evaluating the making of the language provisions of the Indian Constitution, this paper tries to argue that the idea of Constitutional parity of languages in the Indian polity of a secular nation was overlooked, in contrast to the Constitution’s ethos of recognizing and respecting the diverse religions of the land. The Constitution has failed to consider languages as yet another cultural artefact, like religion. By proposing a mono-linguistic model of ‘official language’, the provisions actually gave way for a ‘national’ language in disguise, while also valuing and promoting Hindi’s Sanskritic roots, thereby assuring Sanskrit a role and visibility in the future of the modern, new-born nation. Finally, the paper tries to propose that the lack of linguistic parity in the legal realm, in terms of state’s recognition and patronage, impact the growth and expansion of languages negatively, by exploring the specific case of Bhojpuri language.

Keywords: Indian Constitution, Language, Multiculturalism, Cultural artefact, Language politics

The Constitution of India stands for a ‘secular’ polity, embodying a positive concept of secularism with respect to religious faiths and freedoms. Although the term ‘secular’ was added later, there can be no doubt that the Constitution makers wanted to establish such a kind of state that respects all cultural artefacts, not just religion per se, on an equal footing and recognizes them with parity, which is evident from a wide array of provisions, more specifically in Article 25 to 30 dealing with the religious, cultural and educational rights and the role of state on those fronts.

However, while dealing with the provisions on languages and its related rights, the Constitution fails to encourage parity in recognition and promotion of languages by the state. In other words, the Constitution makers did not recognize the multilingual and multicultural character of the Indian society (and the ensuing polity), by simply denouncing language as a mere means of communication (Agnihotri, 2015, p. 48), and therefore an effective force to unite the people of India.

Further, in spite of remarkable seriousness and scholarship informing the constituent assembly decisions, the linguistic provisions reproduced and reinforced the traditional hierarchy of languages operating as corollary to the social and cultural hierarchy of the society. Thanks to the downside of consensual democracy in a body dominated by elites, the decisions buttressed the dominant socio-religious ideology of Sanskrit as prime identity of and superior to all other languages, and glorification of the Sanskritic roots of the Hindi.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

R. Dhiyanesh, M.A.
Research Scholar
Department of Education, University of Delhi
Delhi - 110007
E-mail: rdhiyanesh92@gmail.com
Mobile Number: +91 8377887831
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