India celebrated Sanskrit Day on August 19 to promote Sanskrit's richness and antiquity.
Recognizing the contributions of other Indian languages is equally important.
Significance of Sanskrit:
Sanskrit is one of the oldest languages globally, important in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.
Its literature includes the Vedas, Upanishads, Mahabharata, Ramayana, and classical texts on philosophy, science, and arts.
Historically supported by religious institutions, dynasties, and scholars like William Jones and Max Müller.
Post-independence efforts focus on Sanskrit as a way to reconnect with India’s ancient heritage.
India’s Diverse Linguistic Landscape:
Other ancient Indian languages like Tamil, Pali, Prakrit, Kannada, Telugu, and Malayalam have rich literary traditions.
Tamil boasts classical Sangam literature and ancient origins, challenging the notion that Sanskrit predates Tamil.
Scholars argue Tamil is one of the oldest living languages with an unbroken literary history.
The Indian government is perceived to privilege Sanskrit and Hindi over other languages.
As per the 2011 Census, only 24,821 people listed Sanskrit as their mother tongue.
Between 2017 and 2020, the government spent ₹643.84 crore on promoting Sanskrit compared to ₹23 crore on Tamil, highlighting funding imbalances.
Impact on Regional Languages:
Neglect of regional languages may lead to their endangerment, especially those spoken by smaller communities.
Balanced support is needed for the survival and vitality of regional languages.
Language Supremacy and Cultural Hegemony:
Antonio Gramsci’s theory of cultural hegemony explains how privileging Sanskrit and Hindi can establish language supremacy.
Promoting certain languages marginalizes others, with a history rooted in colonial and postcolonial state-building processes.
Robert Phillipson’s concept of linguistic imperialism applies to this scenario.
Pierre Bourdieu’s idea of cultural capital suggests privileging specific languages provides social and economic advantages to their speakers.
Addressing the Bias:
Policy reforms, educational initiatives, cultural promotion, community engagement, and technological support are needed to address the bias.
The National Education Policy's focus on mother tongues is a positive step.
Cultural events and literary programs celebrating linguistic diversity should be encouraged.
Support for publishing and disseminating literary works in all languages is essential.
Local communities should be engaged in preserving and promoting their languages.
Platforms for marginalized language speakers to share stories and cultural practices are important.
Technology should be used to develop language-learning tools and digital content in local languages.
Resources must be equitably distributed to promote all Indian languages.
Language policies should promote inclusivity and accessibility, allowing communities to learn and use their native languages alongside Sanskrit.
Language is integral to identity; privileging specific languages over others can create cultural and political tensions.
Promoting linguistic diversity helps India celebrate its linguistic heritage and ensure the development of all languages.
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