Language Politics in India and Status of Urdu

Determination of an official language is one of the most complex and important tasks befalling every multiliguistic state. This decision is political in nature. Its impact for members of linguistic minorities is fateful due to its effect on these groups socio-economic status, as well as their collective identity. Language is a crucial part of any culture. It is a dominant feature in determining the bases of nationalism or ethnicity, as it represents a nation's identity and preserve its heritage. Language is also the driving force behind the unity of the people and make them distinct from other nations. Language is never imposed but adopted and once a language is adopted, it is difficult to eliminate it from the society until the society decides to change or adopt something different. This paper analyzes the language politics in India and status of Urdu. Urdu enjoys constitutional safeguards designed to protect minority languages. But in practice, state apathy has shrunk the sphere of Urdu. Urdu should be protected not only as a part of the cultural rights of minorities but also because it is a culture and a civilisation in itself.