The Language Question: Politics, Policy and Possibility of Multilingualism in India

The Indian subcontinent has seen diverse political mobilisations around the language question; claiming a fairer share of federal power, demanding a more respectable position in the educational process, as a space for political assertion as well as a medium of tactical negotiations. Since the recommendations of the University Education Commission of 1949 till the latest National Education Policy of 2020, the conflicted terrain of language has contributed to the power struggles amongst the varied politico-linguistic interests across the nation. This paper attempts to look into the evolution of the language policy in India, focusing on the relationship between the regional political assertion for states and marginalisation of minor languages within these states.