Regional and Linguistic divide in India

White Hat-Facts and Figures
By- Raza Naqvi

The linguistic divide in India started since the invasion of the Aryans, the divide had arisen due to the conflict between the Aryans and the Dravidians since then the country has been facing this problem. 

The major linguistic divide came in the year 1950 when the States Reorganization Act was passed and India was divided into separate states on the basis of linguistic lines.  

In the year 1961 the Indian census had identifies 1953 languages throughout the country but in the year 2001 the number of languages recognized were 122 and the constitution of India recognizes only 22 languages. Language plays a major role in identifying the individuality of a person and consequences of listing only a few languages in interest of assimilation and administration are enormous, and how the state and civil society cope with the many dimensions of these consequences is the subject matter of language and politics in India.  

The central role linguistic assertion played in the evolution of India’s polity in the 1950s and 1960s, resulting in the reorganization of States on the basis of language, and the Union of India’s decision not to make Hindi the sole official language of India in 1965. The Constitution had originally permitted the use of English along with Hindi for the first 15 years of the Republic, giving an option to Parliament to extend the use of English for specific purposes beyond 15 years. Parliament enacted a law in 1963, bowing to the sentiments of people from the South.

The creation of Uttarakhand from Uttar Pradesh (UP), Chattisgarh from Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand from Bihar in 2000 on the basis of regional aspirations shows that language as the basis for reorganization of States may be vulnerable although it was the most effective answer in the 1950s.

Also recently after the popular demands for the formation of Telengana it was formed and Vidarbha is also being demanded as a separate state from Maharashtra, also two-three years back Former UP Chief Minister Kumari Mayawati had raised a demand of dividing Uttar Pradesh into four separate states, all these reinforce this tendency, which has earned significant political accommodation in terms of recognition by political parties.


Black Hat-Criticism
By- Namit Hans
Entire population saw the lower house of our country i.e. ‘Lok Sabha’ being blacked out when the debate on Telangana bill was going on. The demand for a separate state of Telangana to be carved out of Andha Pradesh started in the year 1952 during the Anti-Mulki agitation by students in Hyderabad.

Similarly, we see such demands from all over the country where people want to have a state of their own based on the language spoken in that area. The strongest voices come in support of Gorkhaland in Darjeeling, Bodoland and Karbi Anglong in Assam. Mithilanchal in Bihar and Jharkhand, Saurashtra in Gujarat, Kongu Nadu in Tamil Nadu, etc. are some of the examples. It is estimated that if all the demands are accepted, then there will be a total of 50 states in India.

Growing outcry for separation and diminishing tolerance towards people who speak different language or look different is an indication of a huge dilemma awaiting our nation. Our politicians, who await such situations to benefit themselves at the cost of common people, will not think twice before supporting such demands, so as to ensure a secure vote bank.

Nowadays, we hear about a lot of cases of violence against students who hail from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and North Eastern states of India. It indicates the changing mind –sets of people, where they consider inhabitants of a particular state or region superior than the others. This will only escalate if newer states are carved out of the existing ones.

The old notion of unity in diversity, which we all are proud of loses its meaning in the current scenario of our nation.

Yellow Hat- Optimism/Support
By- Bhaswar Kumar
One of the strongest challenges faced by the Indian state is the regional and linguistic variance found in our nation, little surprise there since the earliest detractors of the idea of India termed the land as a subcontinent of nations rather than a singular and sustainable nation. It is unfortunate that the credo of “unity in diversity” has been reduced to a clichéd and non-operative phrase, a target of much sarcasm and ridicule.

We can blame our diversity for the myriad problems we face, but that would be a disservice to our nation. Our diversity is our strength, it has made our nation and people resilient, and it has made us adaptable. Democracy is more than just the right to vote, it allows the people to define the character and spirit of the nation they live in. At its best our nation would be defined by the different POVs arising out of the different cultural and social moorings of our populace. The rich human experience, in a syncretic and vibrant form, would translate into the soul of our nation.

Of course conflict exists, be it in Tamil Nadu where any move to introduce Hindi in a significant manner is seen as an attempt to establish North-Indian hegemony or in Maharashtra where the Shiv Sena cannot abide by migrant labourers from Bihar and UP. At worst these conflicts are born out of the politics of exclusivism and confrontation, where pitting people against each other based on their regional and linguistic identities can reap rich rewards and seats. A democratic and federal state like India can accommodate regional and linguistic ambitions and expectations, and despite appearances we have done a good job so far.

Our diversity, our differences, have given us the chance to truly take forward the ideals of democracy, to celebrate individual expression and accommodate varying opinions. It is our comfort with our diversity that has created the image of an India that can coexist with the larger world without creating conflict even as it strives to become a power to be reckoned with.

Green Hat-Creative Ideas/Solutions
By- Prateek Kumar
Language barriers can make a country divide into different states. And states are also divided if more than two languages are spoken in that state. What happened with the division of Andra and Telangana is one such example. Their division is not on the basis of provinces but on the basis of language they speak. Subsequently India being one of the most underdeveloped country is full of varsity and illusions of these barriers which compel people to sit and proclaim their space and stature.

Our linguistic aspirations and the need to accommodate them should not be an issue in federal state like India. English has already become the language of trade and commerce giving regional languages adequate space and promotion and is a part of confrontational politics. In the absence of real and substantive political ideologies it becomes very easy to practice politics which seeks to exploit divisions and differences rather than creating common ground and mutual interests.

Practicing the politics of development and betterment sans promoting divisive agendas will lead to an atmosphere wherein we will find many more avenues of cooperation rather than conflict. We must learn to speak in the universal language of development for all and poverty for none, hunger and deprivation do not discriminate and neither should we as citizens of our country. Bringing our varied populace onto a common platform will render our divisions irrelevant as far as our politics and our society is concerned, of course one will still remain a Gujarati or a Punjabi but when it comes to solving our mutual problems we will all be fellow Indians.

BlueHat-Expert Interview
By- Arnab Mitra

Swantam Chattopadhyay, Professor of Mass Communication department at Jadavpur University, Kolkata
Q. Gorkhaland, Telengana, and others, what is the root cause of such movements?

A. Our Constitution says that the country India has the discretionary power and not the state. Before independence the Montagu Chelmsford commission in the year 1943AD divided the country on the basis of Religion but not language and culture. In 1905 Bengal planned to divide in the basis of Hindu and Muslim. After independence Potti Sreeramulu fasted unto death in order to convince the government to create a separate state of Andhra for Telugu people. The tensions in Punjab and the recent turmoil in Vidarbha and the Gorkhaland agitation exist because the state won’t take decisions to maintain the integrity of its land.

The Gorkha speaking people residing in the hilly areas of West Bengal are deprived of adequate representation by the state govt. since the creation of the state of Bengal. They don’t have MLAs and MPs in the legislation and the people treat their region as a tourist spot. The development there is like a blinking lamp, it is sporadic instead of being a sustained effort. Demand for a separate Gorkha state started in 1982 under the leadership of Ghi Singh. The then Communist govt. created Gorkha Tribunal Board to pacify the tension. Since its creation it has been a puppet body and the board does not have any administrative power. Recent turmoil in the region has been  pacified by Mamata Banerjee by renewing and giving

 more power to the tribunal board.

Hyderabad, the state capital of Andhra, was under the rule of the Nizam before independence. Vallabhai Patel ensured that the Nizam’s kingdom would become a part of India after the Indian army was deployed. The coastal area called Seemandhra and Telangana have always had different cultures. The main occupation of the coastal areas is fishing and the basic economic status of the residents is poor. . According to recent data of the state the GDP growth rate of Telengana is 3.5 % whereas in Hyderabad it is 7.5%. This discrimination caused the conflict and the resultant revolution which lead to the creation of Telangana.


Red Hat- Public opinion
By- Ankit Chatterjee

Mohan Dash,49, Accountant, Angul, Odisha

Q. What is your opinion on regional linguistic divide in India?

A. Every state in our country has its own regional language, its culture, its tradition which is somewhat unique and different from other states. However, I personally believe everyone must understand and respect the social norms to coexist peacefully.

Q. Racism is present in abundance in India. What is your say on that?

A. Yes, I agree. What happened in Bangalore recently was a shameful incident. I am father of a son and when I look at such incidents, it sends a shiver down my spine thinking what will happen if my son goes to some other state to study.  In my opinion, this is due to people being not educated and also because most are insensible and careless.

Q. Have you or anyone you know who have faced any such difficulty?

A. Yes. North-east people are the main victims of racism. In fact, one of my colleague in my office who was from Arunachal Pradesh was victim to such racial abuse on a daily basis. To end his misery, he decided to quit his job and return home.

Monty Jena, 46, Pan Shop owner in Dhenkanal, Odisha

Q. Have you ever experienced racial or regional discrimination personally?

A. No, I have travelled only to West Bengal from my home state of Odisha and I have not faced any such discrimination so far. However once due to my ignorance I misbehaved with a South Indian student because of his accent but I regret that incident till date.

Q. As a person who belongs to Odisha were you able to relate to the culture, tradition and people of Bengal?

A. Though there were similarities, but every state is different from one another in many ways. So the people and their culture were somewhat new to me.


Thank You,


Introduction
Raza Naqvi, 21, Graduate in Business Administration from Gauhati University, Former Journalist at Hindustan Times, Pursuing Diploma in English Journalism from Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Dhenkanal

Namit Hans, 22, Graduate in Economics from Delhi University, Former Gandhi Fellow at Piramal Foundation for Education Leadership, Pursuing Diploma in English Journalism from Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Dhenkanal

Bhaswar Kumar, 23, Graduate in English literature from Delhi University, Pursuing Diploma in English Journalism from Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Dhenkanal

Prateek Kumar, 22, Graduate in English Literature from Delhi University, Pursuing Diploma in English Journalism from Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Dhenkanal

Arnab mitra, 23, Graduate in English Literature from Calcutta University, Post Graduate in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University, Former space seller in The Telegraph, Pursuing Diploma in English Journalism from Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Dhenkanal

Ankit Chatterjee, 22, Graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication from Amity University, Former Journalist at tadpoles.in, Pursuing Diploma in English Journalism from Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Dhenkanal