ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to my English

teacher Mrs. Priya Prabahar as well as our Principal Mrs.
Devika Dinesh for their able guidance and support in
completing my project successfully.

I am also thankful to my parents for their valuable

suggestions, cooperation, and engagement.

Last but not the least, I thank all my friends who helped me
to complete this project within a limited time frame.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

CONTENTS PG.NO
Action Plan 3

Objective 4
About the Author 5

Introduction 6

Concept of Linguistic Chauvinism 7

Importance of Language 8

Relationship between Language and Culture 9

Historic References 10
Survey Questionnaire 15

Survey Analysis 18

Conclusion 22

Individual Reflection 23

Photographic Evidence 24

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 ACTION PLAN

MONTH OBJECTIVE
September Orientation and Finalizing of the Project.
October Collecting Sources for the Project.
November Distribution of survey questionnaires to individuals.
December Preparing the report.
January Presenting the report.

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OBJECTIVE

The objectives of choosing this topic

are:
● Explaining linguistic
chauvinism.
● Highlighting the importance of language.
● Describe the concept of freedom of speech and expression.
● Relationship between language and culture.
● Historical references to events where linguistic identities were
threatened.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Alphonse Daudet (13 May 1840 – 16 December 1897) was a French short story
writer and novelist. He is remembered chiefly as the author of sentimental tales of
provincial life in the south of France. All his life he recorded his observations of
other people in little notebooks, which he used as a reservoir of inspiration.

Daudet was born in Nîmes, France. His family, on both sides, belonged to the
bourgeoisie (sociologically defined social class, equivalent to the middle or upper
middle caste). Daudet wrote his first novel at age 14. Unable to finish his schooling
after his parents lost all their money, he took a position in a duke’s household. In
1856, he left Lyon, where his school days had been mainly spent, and began his
career as a schoolteacher at Alès, Gard, in the south of France. The position proved
to be intolerable and Daudet said later that for months after leaving Alès he would
wake with horror, thinking he was still among his unruly pupils. These experiences
and others were reflected in his novel Le Petit Chose.
On 1 November 1857, he abandoned teaching and took refuge with his brother
Ernest Daudet, only some three years his senior, who was trying, "and thereto
soberly," to make a living as a journalist in Paris. Alphonse took to writing, and his
poems were collected into a small volume, Les Amoureuses (1858), which met
with a fair reception. He obtained employment on Le Figaro, then under Cartier de
Villemessant's energetic editorship, wrote two or three plays, and began to be
recognized in literary communities as possessing distinction and promise. Morny,
Napoleon III's all-powerful minister, appointed
him to be one of his secretaries - a post which he
held till Morny's death in 1865. Daudet
represents a synthesis of conflicting elements and
his experience of life, at every social level and in
the course of his travels, helped to develop his
natural gifts. His major works include ‘Tastain’,
‘Le Petit Chose’, ‘In the Land of Pain’ and The
Last Lesson.
INTRODUCTION
Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the
freedom of an individual or a community to
articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of
retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The
right to freedom of expression has been
recognized as a human right in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and
International Human Rights Law by the United Nations. Many countries have
constitutional law that protects free speech.

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Freedom of expression includes any activity of seeking, receiving, or imparting
information or ideas, regardless of the medium used. Linguistic Chauvinism
directly threatens freedom of speech and expression as it restricts a particular
group or community from communicating in their language and forcefully
imposing a foreign language on them. Incidents of linguistic chauvinism have been
witnessed many times in history in different areas of the world, which will be
discussed later in the project.

CONCEPT OF LINGUISTIC CHAUVINISM

“Chauvinism” is a devotion for or against something based on what you feel (not
necessarily what you may know). Linguistic chauvinism is the inordinate love for
one’s language. This love is so strong that one considers one’s language superior to

all the other languages of the world and imposes the language on others.

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This theme is effectively brought out by the writer Alphonse Daudet who teaches
people to hold on fast and guard their language which is the key to their freedom
and symbolizes their identity. This happens generally when the language imposed
is that of the ruling class. But it could be something as simple as Tamil speakers
who start talking in Tamil as soon as they see non-Tamilians around or Japanese
colonizers in the early 20th century who banned the Koreans from using their
language and even forced them to use Japanese names. Also, sometimes it can lead
to partition as in the case of Pakistan and Bangladesh, which led to the Bengali
Language Movement which resulted in partition.

IMPORTANCE OF LANGUAGE

Language matters a great deal as this is what helps to distinguish the sayings of one
individual from the other. If used efficiently, it is a powerful, strong weapon that
will leave memorable impressions on the listener. The importance of language in
our society is clear as it has helped to smooth social contacts, preserve our culture

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and convey our thoughts to individuals and people in groups effectively. Language
is considered an important tool that helps to create cultural ties, friendships, and
relationships. It is a medium used to offer shape to thoughts, ideas, and emotions
depending upon the perception of reality and portray it to others in a manner that
the people listening can understand and relate to them.

A
common
language
is a
symbol of
social
solidarity and gives the impression of cultural kinship. There are different cultures
in the world and it is the language that primarily distinguishes the differences
between the cultures and celebrates its unique features. The importance of
language is that it shapes the thought process and perception of how an individual
views the world. It also helps to define the concept of culture in society because
culture and language are closely connected. It is the language that helps others to
understand the culture of a place. It conserves our culture and helps to spread it as
a culture carrier. Knowing the language signifies that you are aware of the culture
and can connect with people in that language.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

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Learning about different cultures helps us approach languages with new insight. It
allows us to delve deeper into the meaning of words and expressions and helps us
feel more connected to each other. To fully appreciate a language, one needs to
understand the culture of the people who speak it as they’re intrinsically connected.
One won’t fully master a language unless one understands a culture, just like one
will never fully understand a culture until they have immersed themself in a study
of that language.

This is because language is constantly in flux and largely dependent on the ever-
evolving views, values, and customs of its speakers. The differences between the
two cultures are reflected perfectly in their languages. Mastering the nuances of a
language means being able to understand people who grew up with an entirely
different set of values and beliefs. Language affects the way we perceive the world
and therefore, it affects how we choose to interact with it.

HISTORIC REFERENCES

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Under this project, we will see the following historical events where linguistic
identities were threatened:

~ Franco-Prussian War (1870)

~ Japanese Invasion of Korea (1910-1945)
~ Annexation of Tibet by People’s Republic of China (1951)
~ Sri Lankan Civil War (1983-2009)
~ Bengali Language Movement (1948-1956)

FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR (1870)

After the defeat in the war, Prussia gained control of French districts- Alsace and
Lorraine, which served as the centers for the Prussian army during the war. Due to
the large presence of Prussian
soldiers and gaining control
of these districts, the Prussian
Empire started imposing its
culture and German language
on the people living here.
Orders regarding the teaching
of only the German language
in schools were passed and
those who knew how to read
and write French were forced
to flee. This was done to
demean the French language
and to crush the spirits of the
native people so they can’t
revolt in the future against the
Prussian Hegemony because
when the people are enslaved,
as long as they hold fast to
their language it is as if they
had the key to their prison.
JAPANESE INVASION
OF KOREA (1910-1945)

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After the annexation of Korea, many changes were seen in the education system of
Korea. By 1939, Japan’s focus had shifted towards the cultural assimilation of the
Korean people. Imperial Decree 19 and 20 on Korean Civil Affairs went into
effect, whereby ethnic Koreans were forced to surrender their traditional use of the
clan-based Korean family name system and many Koreans received a Japanese
surname. Integration of Korean students in Japanese language schools steadily
increased over time. While before this, schools in Korea used mostly Hanja script,
during this time, Korean came to
be written in a script introduced by
the Japanese. In 1928, Hangul Day
(9 October) was inaugurated,
which was meant to celebrate the
accelerating Japanization of
Korean culture. The Japanese
administrative policy shifted more
aggressively towards cultural
assimilation after 1939. This left
less room for Korean language
studies and by 1943, all Korean
language courses had been phased
out. As a result of which teaching
and speaking Korean was prohibited
and whoever disobeyed these orders
was forced to migrate to China.

Japanese rule over Korea ended on

15 August 1945 with the surrender
of Japan in World War II. The
armed forces of the United States
and the Soviet Union subsequently
occupied this region. Their division
of Korea separated the Korean
Peninsula into two different governments and economic systems: the
northern Soviet Civil Administration and the southern United States Army Military
Government in Korea. These post-war administrative areas were succeeded
respectively by the modern independent states of North Korea and South Korea.
ANNEXATION OF TIBET BY THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
(1951)

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Tibet came under the control of the Qing dynasty of China in 1720 after the
Qing expelled the forces of the Dzungar Khanate from Tibet. It remained under
Qing suzerainty (or protectorate) until 1912. The succeeding Republic of
China claimed the inheritance of all territories held by the Qing dynasty, including
Tibet. After the annexation of Tibet by The People’s Republic of China (PRC), a
lot of efforts were made to suppress Tibetan culture and language. China initially
implemented a
policy of dual-
language education
in Tibetan areas but
soon phased it out
and started imposing
Mandarin Chinese.

Nowadays,
Tibetans’
devastating lack of
economic
opportunity is
inextricably related
to the language.
Tibetans who do not
speak Chinese have
no access to well-paying jobs and on opposing these policies, the Tibetans are sent
to concentration camps located in the Xinjiang region. The loss of the Tibetan
language can be linked to the loss of Tibetan Buddhism, a treasure of Tibetan
culture. People had previously remembered Tibetan by reciting religious chants,
but once the chants were banned, they inevitably lost the language. The loss of
language ability has led to the loss of cultural and social ties within Tibetan
villages.

Recently, The Chinese government’s campaign to push Mandarin Chinese as

the main spoken and written language for Tibetans now include giving
parents the responsibility for teaching their children. Tibetan parents, mostly
nomads, and farmers, whose mother tongue is Tibetan, are being forced to
attend workshops and classes.

SRI LANKAN CIVIL WAR (1983-2009)

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The Sri Lankan Civil War was a civil war fought in Sri Lanka from 1983 to 2009.
Beginning on 23 July 1983, there was an intermittent insurgency against the
government by the Velupillai Prabhakaran-led Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE, also known as the Tamil Tigers). The LTTE fought to create an
independent Tamil state called Tamil Eelam in the northeast of the island, due to
the continuous discrimination and violent persecution against Sri Lankan Tamils
by the Sinhalese-dominated Sri Lankan Government.

Violent persecution against the Tamil population erupted in the form of the 1956,
1958, 1977, 1981, and 1983, anti-Tamil pogroms, as well as the 1981 burning of
the Jaffna Public Library. These were carried out by the majority Sinhalese mobs
often with state support, in the years following Sri Lanka's independence from the
British Empire in 1948. Shortly after gaining independence, Sinhala was
recognized as the sole official language of the nation. After a 26-year military
campaign, the Sri Lankan Armed Forces militarily defeated the Tamil Tigers in
May 2009, bringing the civil war to an end.

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BENGALI LANGUAGE MOVEMENT (1948-1956)

Bengali Language Movement began in 1948 and reached its climax on the killing
of 21 February 1952, and ended in the adoption of Bangla as one of the state
languages of Pakistan. The question of what would be the state language of
Pakistan was raised immediately after its
creation. The central leaders and the Urdu-
speaking intellectuals of Pakistan declared
that Urdu would be the state language of
Pakistan, just as Hindi was the state
language of India. The students and
intellectuals of East Pakistan, however,
demanded that Bangla be made one of the
state languages.

After a lot of controversy over the language

issue, the final demand from East Pakistan
was that Bangla must be the official
language and the medium of instruction in
East Pakistan and for the central
government it would be one of the state
languages along with Urdu. The first movement on this issue was mobilized by
Tamaddun Majlish headed by Professor Abul Kashem. Gradually many other non-
communal and progressive organizations joined the movement, which finally
turned into a mass movement.

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SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE

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This survey is based on the importance of one’s language. It is always interesting
to find out the mindset of the current generation and youngsters regarding sensitive
topics like language control. Every person has their opinion towards a particular
topic. Let’s see what the youngsters of today feel about their language and its
importance in society.

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SURVEY ANALYSIS

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Question:
The majority of South India speaks Dravidian languages, which is completely
different from Hindi, an Indo-Aryan language. Yet, because of the number of
Hindi speakers in North India and political factors, the central government is
trying to impose Hindi in the southern states. What is your opinion on this?
Out of 30 responses, these were the best possible answers:
 Even though Hindi is our national language, imposing Hindi in places where
their mother tongue is wrong. One should have the right to speak or learn
his/her mother tongue without anyone forcing them.

 Language is used for communication and that should be the end of it. There
should be a decent number of Dravidians knowing Hindi and a decent
number of north Indians knowing Dravidian scripts. If this was left at that,
we would have no problems.

 Imposing a language which not at all related to place is not a correct one.
Learning the language by one’s interest is completely different. So, my
opinion on it is, don’t compel others for your benefit.

 It needs to be unconditionally accepted that in India, it is undesirable to

impose Hindi, or any other language, on people whose mother tongue is
entirely different.

 Half and Half, because the minority will feel left out and it would only be
hard for them, whereas the majority, have it much easier. The goal here
should be to unite people together, not force them against their will.

 People have the right to choose language, and one should not be overruled
upon his decision of language.

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 As India is a politically secular country that has "Unity in Diversity", it is
given that the imposition of Hindi on southern states is a horrible thing to
do.

 Learning a particular language is a person's own choice. Someone else

cannot impose or decide to force the public to learn a language that has no
use to them. Where is the freedom of speech here?

 Being spoken by the majority of people; it must be cultivated in all states of

India for easy communication.

 Obviously, they are imposing the Hindi language in southern states. But it is
unfair according to me. Being political leaders, they shouldn't insist specific
language to speak. It is people's right to speak in their mother tongue.

 I think this act which the government is trying to implement is an incorrect

approach, it feels like they are snatching a country’s freedom or rights.

 I am against Hindi imposition, as it is too much of a hassle to learn a third

language, other than my mother tongue and English, I believe in English is a
common language among Indians, as it can be used internationally.

 Learning a new language is always considered gaining knowledge. But

forcibly asking someone to learn isn't cool. The reason behind this strategy
of forcing to learn Hindi is that they are using this to gain political stability
in the south. No one has the right to force a language in a diverse country
like India, even upma can’t be forced, just kidding! There is no harm in
learning Hindi but it should never be forced.

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CONCLUSION
From the few examples mentioned previously, it is clear that whenever a new
territory is conquered by a nation, the leaders of that nation try to suppress any
future uprising by separating the people from their culture and language as they
both play a vital role in creating a feeling of nationalism. By imposing a foreign
language directly or indirectly, an inferiority complex can be created among the
people regarding their language and culture which can be experienced even after
that country is liberated and freed.

The survey analysis gave us a new insight into the mindset of the current
generation toward the importance of their language and how they feel about the
imposition of other languages that are alien to them.

This can be seen in the case of India even after 74 years of independence, the
English language is seen as a status symbol among Indian citizens and given a
superior status in comparison to other Indian languages such as Sanskrit, Tamil,
Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, etc. which resulted in Indian Youth not feeling
connected to their roots and culture. This same pattern can be seen in other British
and American colonies such as South Korea, Japan, Africa, and Vietnam. Thus, a
colonized/ enslaved country needs to preserve its culture because as quoted by
Alphonse Daudet,

“When the people are enslaved, as long as they hold fast to their language, it is
as if they had the key to their prison”.

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INDIVIDUAL REFLECTION
This topic has been chosen for the project as the effects of linguistic chauvinism
can be seen in many parts of the world which developed a curiosity to explore
more about this topic. Although it was very difficult to find any information
relating to the incidents of linguistic chauvinism in past and present because no
nation wanted to admit the atrocities, they had committed towards the residents of
different territories they had annexed in the past. This project provided a whole
new experience because, while working on this project, I came to know about the
relationship between the language and the culture of a region, and the various
impacts on the culture of a region if a foreign language is imposed there. It also
helped me to understand the importance of language and the right to communicate
in that language for the people of a particular region.

Creating the survey and the response from the general public was wholesome. I
had so much fun reading people’s answers and how each person had a different
perspective and opinion towards a specific subject. I felt really happy to read the
responses to the “Hindi Imposition in South India” question since the responses
were beautifully framed by the public. I am really grateful to have taken this
wonderful topic for my investigatory project.

~ A.V.R. Rakshith, XII-A2

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PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE

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