A Study of the Importance of Linguistic Diversity in India

Abstract

Hinduism, caste and language are among India’s most distinctive characteristics. According to Indian law, states are created on the basis of language in order to accommodate different linguistic groups and enable their effective integration into the economic, political, social and cultural mainstream of the country. In spite of this, the growing regional differences in India, caused by the linguistic minority states developing faster than the national average, have created tension between the linguistic communities that make up the various Indian states and provinces. As a result, multiculturalism faces a new set of challenges, since it is based on the premise that conflicts in societies are mostly caused by minorities feeling excluded from the general process of socio-economic progress. Because the minority language groups in India are progressing faster than the majority, there are a number of broader challenges that multiculturalism needs to address.