Languange, India, and Ditching the Crown

In response to Jharkhand demand second language status for Santhali, Bengali (http://www.khabrein.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7571&Itemid=88), and Urdu gets 2nd official language status, (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Patna/Urdu_gets_2nd_official_language_status/articleshow/2475749.cms).

Over one billion people, in 2 million square kilometer's, speaking several hundred languages between them. Welcome to India!

The two articles above deal with the recent decision of the Indian state of Jharkhand to recognize Urdu as an official secondary languages and the reactions of speakers of other languages. After the state governtment added Urdu as an official second language, many advocates have come out to say that Bengali, the second most common non-tribal minority language in the state, should also be added. Others are advocating that Santhali, the most common tribal language, should be granted the same status; some pro-tribal advocates have stretched this petition to say that all nine tribal languages should be added.

In India, this is not some simple battle over semantics. Languages have been a dominant theme in the history of the country from it's independence. In the constitution of India, there is a 15-year plan for the removal of the colonist language of English from affaris of state. It is also stated explicitly that minorities people have a right to preserve their language and culture. Also, the constitution emphasizes that Hindi should be spread as a national language.

These three concepts move beyond just official language regulation, but well into the realm of national identity. In attempting to establish the identity of the newly emancipated India, the framers of the constitution wanted to wipe out the colonialist influence and identity forced upon them in the invading language, while forming a new common identity on the common national language of Hindi, but still allows each minority to keep and develop their language. A vision of pieces, each beautiful and complete on its own, stiched together over the common identity of being Indian. (Not all of this worked out as planned. Only 30% of the country speaks Hindi as their primary tongue, and the 15-year plan of working to completely move beyond English was abandonned in order to enable states without common languages to communicate in an official fassion.) To that end the government also recognizes 14 official languages.

Recognition as a state second language is not just a change in the CIA World Factbook in India. There are constitutionaly granted rights and regulations once a language has been given an official status within the state. Citizens of the state can then bring official greviances to the government in this language. Also, the burden moves from the minority speaking the language to the state to establish schools in this languange if needed. (This probably will not happen in most of Jharkhand. The primary schools are run in English, and mannaging to achieve 95% attendence in this current state of affairs.) In neighboring state Bihar, when Urdu recieved second language status the following changes were made:

Acceptance of representations and replies thereto.
Acceptance of documents by the Registration Offices.
Publication of important rules, regulations, etc.
Issue of orders and notifications of public interest.
Publication of important Government documents.
Publication of district Gazettes, and
Display of signboards. (source below)

But in a country with a rich language history, it seems more than plausible that the rejoicing among speakers of Urdu and desires of envious spearkers of other minority languages, could be based around a state validation of their identity. The languanges people speak are often closely tied to their cultures, and affect their self visualizations. It forms a common basis for communication among a people, creates a commonality. When a state goes so far as to pick one group of these fabrics as a language, it sends a message of validation.


Cited sources from www.languageinindia.com (Seriously... that's the name. It's almost more obvious than a .stanford.edu domain name.)
PART III
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS
Cultural and Educational Rights

29. Protection of interests of minorities.-

Any section of the citizens residing in the territory of India or any part thereof having a distinct language, script or culture of its own shall have the right to conserve the same.

30. Right of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions.-

All minorities, whether based on religion or language, shall have the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.

PART XVII
CHAPTER IV.-SPECIAL DIRECTIVES

350. Language to be used in representations for redress of grievances.-

Every person shall be entitled to submit a representation for the redress of any grievance to any officer or authority of the Union or a State in any of the languages used in the Union or in the State, as the case may be.

350A. Facilities for instruction in mother-tongue at primary stage.-

It shall be the endeavour of every State and of every local authority within the State to provide adequate facilities for instruction in the mother-tongue at the primary stage of education to children belonging to linguistic minority groups; and the President may issue such directions to any State as he considers necessary or proper for securing the provision of such facilities.

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.

__________________________________
These two states (Bihar and Jharkhand) have a population of 86,374,465 persons according to the 1991 Census of India. Hindi is the regional and official language of both these states, which is spoken by 79.34 per cent of the population.

The major linguistic minority groups in these states include the speakers of Urdu (10.42%) [9.00 mil.], Bengali (3.18%) [2.75 million people], and Santali (3.09%). [2.67 million people]

2. Urdu in Bihar and Jharkhand

Urdu is one of the most important languages of Bihar and Jharkhand states. 85.42 lacs people of these states speak Urdu language. Hindi is the first official language of the state. Urdu is declared as the second official language in the undivided State of Bihar since 16th August 1989 for the following purposes:

Acceptance of representations and replies thereto.
Acceptance of documents by the Registration Offices.
Publication of important rules, regulations, etc.
Issue of orders and notifications of public interest.
Publication of important Government documents.
Publication of district Gazettes, and
Display of signboards.