Language of power or “fringe language”?: English in postcolonial India, 1946–1968
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Author
Date
2017Type
- Journal Article
ETH Bibliography
yes
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Abstract
India’s “official language controversy” spanned over two decades from 1946 to 1967, during which the proposal to replace English with Hindi met with resistance from various quarters. However, the inter-regional ethno-linguistic politics of India came together with the developmental vision for an industrialized postcolonial democracy to ensure its validation and continuance in as a co-official language of the republic. My analysis identifies a widespread perception, among supporters as well as detractors of English in India at the time, that the “international”/“foreign” credentials of the language made it an instrument of change across various regional, religious, caste, class, and ethnic communities. The language came to be reframed during this period due to the coming together of India’s colonial past and its distinct regional and community histories with the views of leading public figures. Perhaps most surprising, however, is the complex part played by a “hybrid” minority constituency in public debate: the mixed race Anglo-Indian community, in dissociating from the former “home” country of England re-defined itself and its relationship with the new republic, and ultimately served as a catalyst in reframing the language as not merely international or colonial, but as Indian. Show more
Permanent link
https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000488878Publication status
publishedExternal links
Journal / series
International Journal of the Sociology of LanguageVolume
Pages / Article No.
Publisher
De GruyterSubject
language politics; English in India; politics of English; Anglo-Indian; minority languageOrganisational unit
03814 - Fischer-Tiné, Harald / Fischer-Tiné, Harald
Notes
It was possible to publish this article open access thanks to a Swiss National Licence with the publisher.More
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