India, the largest democracy in the world has 415 languages according to the SIL Ethnologies. Dialectologists distinguish the terms “language” and “dialect” on the basis of 2Â functions. The Indian census uses two specific classifications in its own unique way: (1) ‘language’ and (2) ‘mother tongue’. The ‘mother tongues’ are grouped within each ‘language’.
Hindi is the official language of India, but the mother of all languages in Sanskrit. Out of the 4 Vedas which are there, 2 have been found (only partially), and we have so much knowledge with only 2 Vedas being discovered. But then, languages create boundaries, and boundaries create conflicts. Here are 3 Language controversies in India.
- Telangana – India recently got its 29th state, after close to 60 years of struggle.  The new state corresponds to the Telugu-speaking portions of the erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad. Telangana had irrigation issues and only receiving 9.86 percent of the state education fund . On 30 July 2013, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) unanimously passed a resolution for the creation of Telangana within a definite timeframe. The committee also assured that the concerns of people from the remaining regions  will be addressed. The bifurcation decision sparked off fresh protests as part of the Samaikyandra Movement.
2. The Hindi–Urdu controversy is an ongoing dispute—dating back to the 19th century—regarding the status of Hindi and Urdu as a single language, and the establishment of a single standard language in certain areas of north and northwestern India . Although this debate was officially settled by a government order in 1950, declaring Hindi as the official language, some resistance remains. The present notion among Muslims about this dispute is that Hindus abandoned Urdu Language, whereas Hindus believe that Urdu was artificially created during Muslim rule.
3. In the 1970’s , South India had said that they wanted examinations in their local language ,while people from North India argued that Hindi should be a common language for all ,as it was the national language . The government finally said the candidates can take the examination in any language they wanted to .
Language is a great barrier, as well as it transcends one and all, keeping India together. It depends on how, we perceive language as , a hurdle or a cushion ?
– Shlomoh Samuel
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