The want to guard Indias linguistic secularism

India’s range in faith and language is without doubt one of the main elements which protects the secular character of the nation, making certain its unity and integrity. But whereas faith and language are the 2 most important features of any tradition, these are additionally the predominant cross-cultural limitations. This is clearly seen in latest communal tensions and the violence in Maharashtra.

Secularism in India is totally different from what the West practises. When the idea originated in England within the mid-Nineteenth century, it was defined that there ought to be full separation between the state and faith with out criticising any of the prevalent spiritual beliefs. India too accepted this notion and integrated the idea within the Constitution within the type of rights to spiritual freedom. These rights are primarily based on the rules of non secular tolerance and equality. Every particular person has the equal proper to freedom of conscience and to profess, practise and propagate his faith. This makes India really secular because the state doesn’t have its personal faith. However, the distinctive facet of Indian secularism is just not solely associated to faith however additionally it is involved with language. Indian secularism is neither pro-religion or language, nor towards. Yet it’s not impartial both. It is integrated within the Constitution as a state coverage and it empowers the state to take steps towards communalism, be it spiritual or linguistic.

Official vs nationwide language

This is the rationale why we don’t and can’t have a nationwide language. In order to guard linguistic range, the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution consists of 22 languages. As India is a unitary federation, that’s, a Union of States, Article 343 enshrines that the official language of the Union shall be Hindi in Devanagari script. The States are free to decide on their very own official language. This association is because of the truth that in India, States are culturally built-in and no State is permitted to exit of it within the identify of distinct language or tradition.

Article 29 incorporates that any part of residents of India together with minority teams shall have the fitting to guard their language, script or tradition, and that language can’t be the bottom for discrimination. According to the 2011 Census, India has 121 languages and 270 mom tongues. About 96.71% inhabitants of the nation have one of many 22 scheduled languages as their mom tongue. Finally, the Census says that the 121 languages are offered in two elements, languages included within the Eighth Schedule, and languages not included (99) within the Eighth Schedule.

Respecting range

Such range must be protected; each language no matter area or State have to be proven respect. This is the one strategy to defend India’s linguistic secularism. Many southern and northeastern States have resisted the imposition of Hindi, citing fears of cultural domination. Dravidian actions in Tamil Nadu traditionally opposed Hindi imposition, favouring Tamil and English. Maharashtra, nonetheless, has emerged as essentially the most delicate State as far as the language debate is anxious. The latest violence towards the non-Marathi inhabitants is the manifestation of id politics. Definitely, it’s not to guard its cultural id. Had it been associated to the safety of tradition, the “protectors” of Marathi language would have thought-about that ‘tolerance’ and ‘liberality’ are the 2 pillars of India’s unity in range.

India has all the time accepted totally different religions, concepts, life, meals habits and so on., primarily due to its liberal and tolerant angle. In a globalising world, a conservative leaning in direction of faith or language will result in a fragmentation of society and tear aside the secular cloth.

Political events have the onus to make sure the safety of India’s range which has been nicely shielded by the Constitution.

C.B.P. Srivastava is President, Centre for Applied Research in Governance, Delhi