A Push to Support Language Diversity in India (fwd link)

[Phillip E Cash Cash]

A Push to Support Language Diversity in India

BY TORY STARR ⋅ JULY 5, 2012 [media link]

In western India, in the state of Gujarat, lies the small town of Chhota
Udaipur. Many people from the Rathwa tribe live here. Down a narrow dirt
road, past cotton plants and piles of harvested corn husks, 80-year-old
Latu Rutia rises from the cot on his back porch. Rutia wears just a
loincloth and an earring. He speaks in his native language of Ratwee. Rutia
says in the schools his grandchildren attend they are taught in the state
language, Gujarati. “They are forced to speak differently,” he says.

Rutia worries that elements of the Rathwee language are trickling away,
even though it’s believed there are nearly a million speakers. However, the
number of speakers may be less important than how and where the language is
spoken.

That’s where the People’s Linguistic Survey of India comes in. They have
field workers spread across the country documenting Rathwee and hundreds of
Indian languages.

Access full article below:
http://www.theworld.org/2012/07/india-language-diversity/
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