India Trying To Save 192 Dying Languages
India, one of nine most multilingual countries in the world, plans to save its 192 dying languages.
Although Hindi and English are the (unofficial) national languages of India and a majority of Indians have knowledge of both, each Indian province has its own official language(s). The regional languages, which differ from Hindi, are commonly used in the local media and on the street.
A majority of educated Indians are at least trilingual. Apart from having fluency in their mother tongues, Indians can speak (read and write) Hindi and English. That is why there is no ‘national language’ as declared by the Indian Constitution. Indian provinces have the liberty and powers to specify their own official language(s) through legislation and there are 22 officially recognised languages in the country.
Hindi and English are used for official purposes in India, but the number of native Hindi speakers ranges between 14.5% and 24.5% in total Indian population. On the reverse side of an Indian currency note, there is a language panel that displays the denomination of the note in 15 of the 22 official languages. The languages are displayed in alphabetical order: Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.
As per the 1991 census, around 96% of Indian people speak only the 22 scheduled languages. The scenario has made it difficult for the concerned authorities to locate and identify tribal people, who speak a large number of tongues. After considering the situation, the Indian government has decided to identify those communities who have been forced to adopt new languages. The government is worried because members of these communities are unable to hand down their mother tongues to the next generation in the changing socio-economic landscape. So, the government has listed 192 languages as endangered and undertaken a project to preserve them.
The Narendra Modi government in New Delhi has asked Mysore-based Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) to preserve the dying languages through documentation under the Scheme for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages (SPPEL). SPPEL Co-ordinator Sujoy Sarkar said that they had started the actual documentation work in 2014. He informed the media that 41 researchers from different Indian universities were documenting cultural and ethno-linguistic aspects of 117 languages. “Indigenous knowledge systems are being video-graphed. Creating digital maps with pronunciation of words, dictionaries, pictorial glossaries and a grammar sketch is part of the scheme,” stressed the SPPEL co-ordinator.
The senior SPPEL official revealed that they were asked to create a museum for languages spoken by less than 10,000 people. As the Indian government stopped listing languages spoken by less than 10,000 people in the census in 1971, it wants to ensure people continue to speak them, Sarkar said. “Once we create enough material, the onus on how to keep these languages in use will depend on each provincial government,” he told reporters.
People face various problems in multilingual countries and India is no exception. On January 1, 2010, Switzerland passed a law in order to preserve the multilingual culture of the country. The Act calls for the encouragement of the minority languages among the four official languages: French, German, Italian and Romansh. Former Soviet Union, too, was a multilingual state, with over 120 languages spoken natively. Although discrimination on the basis of language was illegal under the Soviet Constitution, the de facto status of languages, other than Russian, differed. Many believe that language discrimination was one of the reasons for the collapse of the Soviet Union. Russian was the only language allowed spoken in the Soviet Union to help create equality among all the people and the decision backfired. India has not made this mistake. Like Switzerland, the South Asian nation tries to preserve its multilingual culture.
ISMC
Boundless Ocean Of Politics 
Ahaa, iits nice conversation regareing this aarticle hee
aat his webpage, I have ead alll that, sso at tis ime mee
also commsnting aat this place. It’s ver trouble-free too find oout anyy topic oon nnet as compard too
textbooks, aas I found tthis posst aat thi site. Hi there!
Someone iin mmy Myspac grpup shared this webste with
us soo I cake tto givve iit a look. I’m definitelyy enjoyying thhe information. I’m
boommarking aand will be tweeting thijs too my followers!
Great blkog aand ffantastic dessign aand style. http://www.Cspan.net/
LikeLike
Hello, after reading this amazing paragraph i am also delighted to share my familiarity here with mates.
LikeLike
It’s actually a nice and helpful piece of information. I am happy that you shared this
useful information with us. Please stay us up to date like this.
Thank you for sharing.
LikeLike
If some one desires expert view on the topic of
blogging after that i propose him/her to go to see this blog, Keep up the nice work. http://www.thefoundation.or.tz/?option=com_k2&view=itemlist&task=user&id=1372018
LikeLike
Ah, isso foi um realmente bom post. O tempo e esforço real para gerar um grande artigo…
mas o que posso dizer… Eu hesita muito e não parecem obter nada feito.
LikeLike
Keep on writing, great job! http://www.captherm.com.br/?option=com_k2&view=itemlist&task=user&id=812
LikeLike
Hello I am so grateful I found your weblog,
I really found you by mistake, while I was looking on Bing for something else, Anyhow I am here now and would just like
to say thanks a lot for a marvelous post and a all round enjoyable blog (I also love the
theme/design), I don?t have time to go through
it all at the minute but I have bookmarked it and also included your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read much more, Please do keep
up the awesome b.
LikeLike
Hello, of course this post is actually good and I have learned lot
of things from it concerning blogging. thanks.
LikeLike
Some genuinely nice stuff on this site, I like it.
LikeLike
Hello, Neat post. There is a problem along with your website in internet explorer, would check this…
IE still is the marketplace leader and a large component of folks will
omit your great writing due to this problem.
LikeLike
Simply wish to say your article is as surprising. The
clearness in your post is just nice and i can assume you are an expert on this subject.
Well with your permission let me to grab your feed to keep up to date with forthcoming post.
Thanks a million and please keep up the enjoyable
work.
LikeLike
Wonderful article! That is the type of information that
should be shared across the web. Disgrace on the search engines for now not positioning
this publish higher! Come on over and talk over with my site .
Thank you =)
LikeLike
Thank you for the write up. I certainly agree with what you’re saying.
I have been talking about this subject a lot these days with my
brother so ideally this will get him to see my perspective.
Fingers crossed!
LikeLike
Hello i just been to your site for the very first time and i certainly
liked it, i bookmarked it and will return.
LikeLike
I love this site a lot, It’s really nice to read as well as learn more information.
LikeLike
Thanks for sharing your remarkable and amazing ideas.
I will not be hesitant to share your site to everybody who should receive tips such as these.
LikeLike
As being a first timer, I’m exploring online for articles
which could be of help to me. Yours is beneficial pleased to have found it.
Thank you.
LikeLike
I merely desired to thank you a lot more for your amazing website you have developed here.
It is full of usefuladvice for those who are in fact
interested in this specific subject, primarily this post.
LikeLike
I love the efforts you have put in this, regards for all the great posts.
LikeLike
When some one searches ffor his vital thing, thus he/she wishes too bee
available that in detail, thus that thing is maintained over here.
LikeLike
For latest nrws you have to go to see the web and on internet I fpund this site as a most excellent site forr
latest updates.
LikeLike
Wow! This can be one of the most beneficial blogs i’ve ever arrive across on this subject.
In fact this is fantastic. I’m also an expert in this topic
thus I can understand your effort.
LikeLike
I’m glad I found your article. I would not have made sense of
this topic on my own. I’ve read other articles on this subject matter,
but I was puzzled right up until I read yours.
LikeLike
Thanks a lot for another post. I’m very happy to be able to get
that kind of information.
LikeLike
You completed many good points there. I did specific searches about
the issue and found lots of people can relate with along with your blog.
Fantastic post!
LikeLike
I think you did an incredible job explaining
it in your article. Sure beats having to research it on my own. Many thanks.
LikeLike
Wow, outstanding weblog structure! Just how long have
you been blogging for? you make blogging simple. The overall look of your web site is superb,
neatly as the content material!
LikeLike
Wow, amazing blog format! How long are you currently blogging for?
Your site is great, and articles are remarkable!
LikeLike
Very good website! I truly love how it is simple on my eyes and also the data are well written. I am wondering how I
could be notified every time a brand new post has been made.
I’ve subscribed to your feed which must do the trick!
Have a good day!
LikeLike
I’m new to your blog. Came across it while surfing around the net.
Continue the great work. I’m hoping you update it
regularly because I’ll be staying tuned for lots more.
LikeLike
Cool thank you for posting! btw are there feeds to your blog?
I’d love to add them to my reader.
LikeLike
Very good post. I just discovered your weblog and wished to say that
I have actually loved surfing around your blogs. In any case
I’ll be signing up to your feed and I hope you write once
again soon!
LikeLike
Thanks for the marvelous posting! I quite enjoyed reading it, you might be
a great author.I will make certain to bookmark your blog and will eventually come back at some point.
I want to encourage continue your great writing, have a nice afternoon!
LikeLike
Fantastic web site. Plenty of helpful information here.
I am sending it to a few friends ans also sharing
in delicious. And naturally, thanks in your effort!
LikeLike
Hi there friends, fastidious paragraph and good urging commented at this place, I am in fact enjoying by these.
LikeLike
Hello everyone, it’s my first pay a quick visit at this website, and article is in fact fruitful for me, keep up posting these content.
LikeLike
Superb blog! Do you have any suggestions for aspiring writers?
I’m hoping to start my own website soon but I’m a
little lost on everything. Would you recommend starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There are so many choices out there that I’m completely overwhelmed
.. Any suggestions? Thank you!
LikeLike
It has always been my belief that great writing such as this takes researching as well
as talent. It’s extremely obvious you have accomplished your homework.
Great job!
LikeLike
I truly treasure your piece of work, Terrific post.
LikeLike
Thanks for another informative site. Where else may I am getting that kind of info written in such a perfect method?
I have a venture that I’m just now running on, and I’ve been on the glance out for
such info. http://www.assessoriadovale.com.br/?option=com_k2&view=itemlist&task=user&id=25467
LikeLike
This is such a fantastic resource that you’re providing and you provide out at
no cost. I enjoy seeing sites that offers an ideal helpful resource absolutely free.
I completely adored reading your content articles.
LikeLike
I wanted to thank you a lot more for this remarkable website you have
developed here. It’s definitely is loaded with practical tips for all
those who are genuinely interested in this topic,
especially this very post.
LikeLike
Why users still use to read news papers when in this technological globe everything is existing
on web?
LikeLike
You appear to be very professional in the manner you write.
LikeLike
I can’t recall the last time I enjoyed an article just as much as this one.
You have went beyond my expectations on this topic and I agree
with your points. You’ve done well with this.
LikeLike
Excellent info thank you for sharing.
LikeLike
Hello i’m a first timer here. I found this website and I find it genuinely beneficial.
I hope to provide something back and also aid others just like you
helped me.
LikeLike
So excellent to see amazing articles within this blog.
Appreciation for posting as well as sharing them.
LikeLike
This is my first time to visit here. I found numerous entertaining stuff
in your weblog, specifically in its discussion. I guess I
am not the only one having all the enjoyment
here! Keep up the excellent work.
LikeLike
I am captivated by this insightful article. There are lots of things stated here I had never believed of before.
You have made me comprehend there is more than one way to think
about these things.
LikeLike