Language Research

According to an anthropological survey of India in the 1980's and early 1990's, 75 "major languages" out of a total of 325 languages were used in Indian households. The Indian Constitution recognizes 18 official languages (Scheduled Languages) and English still continues to serve as the language of prestige.

Since achieving independence in 1947, the language question has become an increasingly sensitive one among Indians. Many Indian nationalists originally intended that Hindi would replace English as a medium of common communication. After different struggles - political, violent and passive - central government decided to allow the state governments to choose their own languages and then recognized them all officially.

States have been accused of failing to fulfill their obligations under the national Constitution to provide for the education of linguistic minorities in their mother tongues, in some cases the minority language was even a Scheduled Language. Although the Constitution requires that legal documents and petitions may be submitted in any of the Scheduled Languages to any government authority, this right is rarely exercised. Under such circumstances, members of linguistic minorities may feel the majority oppresses them and their language. While people who are among linguistic majorities may feel threatened by what some might consider minor concessions. For example, in 1994 a proposal in Bangalore to introduce an Urdu-language television news segment (aimed primarily at Muslim viewers) led to a week of urban riots that left dozens dead and millions of dollars in property damage.