Getting the language count right

Getting the language count right

Article:

1. G.N. Devy, literary critic and cultural activist, emphasized that recent census data inadequately reflect India’s linguistic composition and inconsistent with global ideas.

Important facts:

2. As per authors view, if language disappears, it goes forever, taking with it knowledge gathered over centuries.

3. Author highlighted that large parts of culture get exterminated through slight shifts in policy instruments.

4. The 1931 census was important because it held up a mirror to the country about the composition of caste and community.

5. During 1965 census, languages in the country were enumerated in full.

6. Recently, the census of India made public the language data based on the 2011 census, which took into account 120 crore speakers of a very large number of languages.

7. During the census, citizens submitted 19,569 names of mother tongues –technically called “raw returns”.However, total 1,369 names –technically called ‘labels’ were picked as “being names of languages”.

8. In addition to the 1,369 “mother tongue” names shortlisted, there were 1,474 other mother tongue names.

9. The 1,369 have been grouped further under a total of 121 “group labels”, which has been presented as “languages”.

10. Of these, 22 languages are included in the Eight Schedule of the Constitution, called “Scheduled Languages”.

11. According to analysts, under the heading “Hindu”, there are nearly 50 other languages. Bhojpuri also comes under “Hindu”. The same is case with Sanskrit.

12. Even English is used by large population as utility language in education, law, administration, media and healthcare.

13. UNESCO’s role:

• UNESCO has progressively developed its vision and deepened its understanding of global linguistic diversity.
• UNESCO tries to highlight the key role that language plays in widening access to education, protecting livelihoods, and preserving culture and knowledge traditions.
• 1999/2000, it proclaimed and observed Feb 21 as International Mother language day.
• In 2001, the universal declaration on cultural diversity accepted the principle of “safeguarding the linguistic heritage of humanity and giving support to expression, creation and dissemination in the greatest possible number of language.
• UNESCO has launched a linguistic minority network and supported research.
• It has also brought out atlas of the world’s languages in Danger, which highlights the central place of languages in the world heritage.

14. The author also highlighted the loopholes in the census such as:

• The census not provides data on second language preference.
• It inadequately reflect India’s linguistic composition and inconsistent with global ideas.

15. The author also provide suggestions in this regard:

• The Census in India should adequately reflect the linguistic composition of the country.
• The Census, a massive exercise that consumes so much time and energy, need to take cares of :

a) Needs to see how it can help in a greater inclusion of the marginal communities.

b) How our intangible heritage can be preserved.

c) How India’s linguistic diversity can become an integral part of our national pride.