Looking beyond Sanskrit

Image for representation.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

India commemorated Sanskrit Day on August 19 to highlight and promote the richness and antiquity of Sanskrit. At the same time, recognising the contributions of the nation’s other languages is equally important. While Sanskrit has played a significant role in our cultural, religious, and intellectual history, focusing solely on this ancient language may overlook the rich literary traditions of other Indian tongues.

Sanskrit, one of the oldest languages in the world, holds a prestigious place in the liturgical and scholarly traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Its vast corpus of literature, including the Vedas, Upanishads, epics such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana, and numerous classical texts on philosophy, science, and arts, cements its importance in Indian culture. Historically, Sanskrit received patronage from religious institutions, royal dynasties such as the Guptas and Cholas, and colonial-era European scholars such as William Jones and Max Müller. Post-independence, efforts to promote Sanskrit have been seen as a means to reconnect with India’s ancient heritage.

Rich literary traditions

However, India’s linguistic landscape is incredibly diverse, encompassing numerous ancient languages with rich literary traditions, including Tamil, Pali, Prakrit, Kannada, Telugu, and Malayalam. These languages have extensive literary, religious, and cultural histories. Tamil, for instance, boasts classical Sangam literature and ancient origins, with archaeological findings and epigraphic evidence supporting its antiquity. The discovery of Tamil-Brahmi script inscriptions from the 2nd century BCE in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka challenges the notion that Sanskrit predates Tamil. Scholars such as Kamil Zvelebil have highlighted the richness and antiquity of Tamil literary tradition, arguing that it is one of the oldest living languages with an unbroken literary history.

Despite this rich diversity, there is a perception, which is not entirely unfounded, that the Indian government privileges Sanskrit and Hindi over other languages. As per the 2011 Census, only 24,821 people reported Sanskrit as their mother tongue. While more individuals may study or use Sanskrit in religious or academic contexts, its status as a spoken language remains limited. Yet, the government spent ₹643.84 crore for promoting Sanskrit between 2017 and 2020 compared to just about ₹23 crore on Tamil. This disparity highlights an imbalance in funding that can affect the development of other regional languages, impacting research, publication, educational programmes, and cultural preservation efforts. In fact, neglecting these languages can lead to their endangerment, especially those spoken by smaller communities. Hence, ensuring the survival and vitality of these languages requires balanced support and promotion.

Language supremacy

Antonio Gramsci’s theory of cultural hegemony helps explain how language supremacy is established through cultural and ideological means. In India, privileging Sanskrit and Hindi can be seen as a form of cultural hegemony, where these languages are positioned as superior, influencing the cultural and social framework. Despite their rich histories and literature, this dominance marginalises other languages. Promoting specific languages over others can be traced back to colonial and postcolonial state-building processes that aimed to unify and standardise the nation, often disregarding linguistic diversity. Robert Phillipson’s concept of linguistic imperialism also applies here. Privileging Sanskrit and Hindi in educational institutions, governmental functions, and media reinforces their dominance. This could erode linguistic diversity and marginalise speakers of other languages. Pierre Bourdieu’s idea of cultural capital suggests that privileging certain languages provides social and economic advantages to their speakers, further marginalising other languages.

Addressing this biased approach requires comprehensive policy reforms, educational initiatives, cultural promotion, community engagement, and technological support. The government must implement policies promoting all languages equally, ensuring representation in educational curricula, governmental proceedings, and public media. The National Education Policy’s focus on mother tongues is a step in the right direction. Cultural events and literary programmes celebrating linguistic diversity should be encouraged, and adequate support for publishing and disseminating literary works in all languages must be provided. Involving local communities in preserving and promoting their languages, creating platforms for speakers of marginalised languages to share their stories and cultural practices, and utilising technology to develop language learning tools and digital content in local languages are crucial steps. Equitable distribution of resources for promoting all Indian languages is essential. Language policies should promote inclusivity and accessibility, ensuring all communities can learn and use their native languages alongside Sanskrit. Educational reforms should emphasise multilingualism.

Language is not simply a tool for communication; it is a core part of one’s identity. In a country as diverse as India, privileging specific languages over others can create significant cultural and political issues. By promoting linguistic diversity, India can celebrate its rich linguistic heritage while ensuring the development of all its languages.

John J. Kennedy is Professor and Dean, Christ University, Bengaluru.