Language

• In India language, the population of India does not speak a common language.
• it is estimated that there are 1600 minor languages and dialects in India.
• In the Constitution of India, 18 languages are recognized.
• Hindi is the largest and single most important language.
• Hindi is spoken by over 250 million people and is recognised as the official language of India.
• Hindi being the official language is resented by many other cultural groups.
• Bitter and often violent rivalries exist between language groups.
• Languages related to Chinese and Tibetan are spoken in the northern regions close to the borders with China and Tibet.
• In Southern India, people speak Dravidian language.
• The Dravidian language group has over 200 million speakers and is unrelated to other languages spoken in India.
• Other important languages include Kashmiri Punjabi and Bengali.
• Effective government of India is difficult as a result of many languages e.g. schools are taught in 60 languages.
• Although only 2% of the population speak English it remains the language of business and the educated classes. It is widely used in universities and politics.
• Language contributes to India's varied and rich cultural heritage however it is also a powerful expression of cultural differences in India and often emphasises the divisions within India rather than the unity of the State.