Linguistic chauvinism
Introduction
Every country in this magnificent world has a single or many
languages unique to others. Most of the people in the world love
their language more than everything. Every language is unique in
their own way and their speakers feel a unique relation with it.
Feeling your language superior and unique than others, isn’t where
the issue lies, but the issue arises only when they force others the
belief that the language is better and superior than any other
language. This is one of the main themes of the story, “The Last
Lesson” by Alphonse Daudet in Flamingo. In this essay, we’re going to
have a look on this topic.
History of Language
Ever since human beings evolved and transformed, they formed
groups and go to hunt for their primal survival. After their hunt, they
need a medium of communication, which was sign language, and the
use of language.
The first sounds ever made by the human species, became the
primary sounds of the alphabets of every language. Language was
the base for the formation of a respectful civilization, poetry, epics
and commerce. Language influences a man’s mind and identity.
“To destroy a people, you should first sever its root” a powerful
quote by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, about the power of language and
culture.
Language forms culture, culture facilitates business, business helps in
maintaining relations, Bonds from other countries or kingdoms help
in maintaining the needs of society and society further strengthens
language.
History of Linguistic Chauvinism
i) INDIA
Let us start some examples from our own country, India during
1960’s. During the 1960’s, the central government in New Delhi
decided to unify every state of the country, and one of the tools they
decided to use was Language. They thought of turning Hindi as the
official language, and was discussed and debated. But, protests all
over the country erupted.
Most of the opposition were from the South Indian states, especially
Tamil Nadu. Violent protests, like protesters committing arsons on
peaceful areas and shops, riots between INC party members and
students. The riots were marked by violence, looting, police firing
and lathi charges. These resulted in 70 deaths including 2 policemen.
ii) PAKISTAN and BANGLADESH (formerly known as East
Pakistan)
Now, in one of our neighbouring countries, 1970’s Pakistan, which
was divided as West and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Pakistan’s
government decided Urdu as the national language, as they felt
personal with it due to the reason of owning the language to
themselves. The situation in Pakistan was fairly good for the country,
as the citizens weren’t opposing the decision. But in stark contrast, in
East Pakistan, the middle classes were a little familiar with Urdu, but
advanced with their regional language, Bengali.
Pointing on the use of Urdu in literature and being a vehicle of Islam
in Indian sub-continent, rulers of Pakistan tried to impose the
language on the Bengalis. The failure of imposing, made the West
Pakistan rulers to accelerate their attack on Bengali people’s language
and culture. Due to imposition and communalism, the newly-formed
Pakistan lost half of its territory. Eventually, the east of Pakistan
became the now-known Bangladesh.
iii) EUROPE
Now, if we move from the Indian sub-continent to other continents,
this type of issue was predominant, mostly during World War times.
The example event from the story, the order from Berlin. The order
to use German in French schools of Alsace and Lorraine.
After the successful conquest of Poland, German government
imposed the Polish citizens to use German in public places (like
schools, gatherings, prayers and funerals), but people were reluctant,
more often used their native tongues as their weapon against
suppression. This wasn’t the only event, but one of the very many
events occurred, to suppress the community. The territories, which
came under Russia due to the Partitions of Poland 1864, leading to
Russification of these areas.
iv) CENTRAL ASIA
In the Central Asia, the time period (1910-45) when Korea was
annexed by Japan, Koreans were forced to speak and learn Japanese
rather than Korean, change their names and order to Japanese.
v) CANADA
The others examples we have seen are from nearly 50 to more than a
century, but this one is a currently occurring situation.
The linguistic divide between English and French speakers in Canada
illustrates another facet of linguistic chauvinism. The province of
Quebec, where French is the predominant language, has often
clashed with the federal government over language policies. Efforts
to preserve French in a predominantly English-speaking country have
led to legislative measures like the Charter of the French Language,
aiming to protect and promote French while sometimes alienating
non-French speakers.
Manifestations of Linguistic Chauvinism
Linguistic chauvinism can manifest in various ways, from government
policies to everyday social interactions. Here are some prominent
forms:
1) Government Policies: National or regional governments may
implement policies that prioritize one language over others. For
instance, the imposition of Hindi as the national language in
India has often sparked resistance from non-Hindi-speaking
regions, leading to linguistic conflicts.
2) Education Systems: Schools and universities might prioritize
certain languages, leading to the marginalization of students
who speak other languages. This often results in unequal access
to education and socio-economic opportunities.
3) Media and Literature: Dominant languages often overshadow
local languages in media and literature. This not only limits
cultural expression but also erases the linguistic heritage of
minority communities.
4) Social Interactions: On an interpersonal level, linguistic
chauvinism can manifest as mocking or demeaning attitudes
towards those who speak different languages or dialects. This
can lead to social exclusion and a sense of inferiority among
speakers of marginalized languages.
Consequences of Linguistic Chauvinism
The consequences of linguistic chauvinism are far-reaching and can
impact individuals and societies in multiple ways:
1) Cultural Erosion: Languages are carriers of culture, history, and
identity. When a language is marginalized, the associated
culture and traditions often face erosion, leading to a loss of
cultural diversity.
2) Social Inequality: Linguistic chauvinism often creates socio-
economic hierarchies. Those proficient in the dominant
language enjoy better job prospects, higher social status, and
greater access to resources, while speakers of marginalized
languages face discrimination and limited opportunities.
3) Psychological Impact: Individuals from linguistic minorities may
experience feelings of inferiority and low self-esteem. The
constant pressure to conform to the dominant language can
lead to identity crises and a sense of alienation.
4) Political Tensions: Language policies that favor one language
over others can lead to political unrest and conflict. For
example, the imposition of Sinhalese over Tamil in Sri Lanka
contributed to decades of civil war.
Media’s role:
Even though unnoticed, media has an effective and essential roles of
portraying languages and its people. Most of all, the widely popular
industry of entertainment- Cinema.
For a very many years, Bollywood seems to portray South Indian as
whole as a bunch of illiterate people, who are obsessed fans of
Rajinikanth and talking Hindi with an accent. While Kollywood,
represents as pawn brokers, always wearing a kurta-pajama and
eating sweets, talking in a funny accent of Tamil. Even though,
they’re used for mockery from both sides, sometimes these types of
representations create a small spark of hate, which develops in to
grudge and riots among different groups.
What’s the best we can do?
There is a simple question we should ask ourselves: Will the rules
ever be useful and effective until and unless we have a control over
ourselves and obey them? Everyone knows the answer: NO!
Yes, of course, there will be rules enforced, but without any of our
will power and control of our behaviour according to the situations.
There will be no goodness harvested from mocking and suppressing
other people. The only things we harvest would be: Wasted energy,
money, and time.
Actions to Take:
Even though, as I said in the last section, that it takes our will power
to decrease this issue. But these steps can help reduce it:
1) Policy Reforms: Governments should implement policies that
promote linguistic diversity and protect minority languages.
This includes recognizing multiple official languages and
providing resources for their preservation and promotion.
2) Inclusive Education: Education systems should be inclusive of all
languages, offering instruction in students' native languages
alongside the dominant language. Bilingual and multilingual
education models can help bridge linguistic divides and
promote equality.
3) Media Representation: Media outlets should provide content in
multiple languages, giving voice to linguistic minorities and
fostering a more inclusive cultural landscape.
4) Awareness Campaigns: Public awareness campaigns can help
shift societal attitudes towards linguistic diversity. Promoting
the value of all languages can counteract the prejudices that
underlie linguistic chauvinism.
5) Cultural Preservation: Efforts to document and preserve
endangered languages are crucial. Linguistic heritage projects,
supported by governments and international organizations, can
help safeguard the cultural and historical knowledge embedded
in these languages.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, Linguistic Chauvinism is one of the under-discussed
topics of the mainstream issues of world. Policies and governmental
laws are useful only when we use it effectively and in useful way.
We’re not going to harvest anything good from the hate, which is
spreading like wildfire. At the end of the day, we’re humans and we
should really stop hating on each other and form a fraternal bond
between the countries and its citizens, making our world the best
place.
