.Language and Politics in Modern South Asia

Abstract

The title of the research is Language and Politics in Modern South Asia: a Comparative Study of the Policies of the All-India Muslim League and the Indian National Congress in British India. This multi-pronged topic is spread over centuries and while tracing its background, it was essential to link the research to the earliest possible period of India. The word 'modern', however, amalgamated the Western interpretations of philosophical, political, economic and social dimensions. Nationalism, Individualism, social rights and scientific knowledge are some of the aspects directly linked to the colonial rulers. With this in the background, a comparison is made between the two political parties of the subcontinent; Indian National Congress (INC) and All-India Muslim League (AIML). The two parties had deep associations with the languages of Hindi and Urdu. The research made an effort to study the development of these languages and the policies which were made for their political enhancement from time to time. Languages emerge out of necessities; be they of personal, social, political economic, national or international design. South Asia presents a platform for a parallel study of Urdu and Hindi in the 18th and 19th century. Modern times brought modern approaches directly with the British influence through their direct and indirect rule including the period of commercial ventures of East India Company. The study of Urdu, Hindi and later on development of English proved that a language can conveniently become a political tool which would over-power the socio-economic growth of the area.