M R Lalu The central government’s recent push to elevate Hindi as a national language has triggered uproar once again. Multilingualism, with different cultural elements living in unison in a geographical space such as India, makes it the most exceptional social experience. Various languages and dialects that we preserved through generations make the essence of communication and they have been matchless in effect and content. Information technology’s enhanced versions underpinning the communication processes with adequate quality and clarity, it seems to be not necessary for a country like India to be battling for enforcing a particular language over the variety available. Multiplicity is the essential thread that a country such as India is intertwined into. When the globe is shrinking into a visible module accessible from anywhere, enabling people to jovially accept and appreciate the cultural variety that it offers, should there be an insistence on a linguistic enforcement growing into the level of a political compulsion. A country, which is a linguistic diversity, existing for years with a single civilizational essence has the societal ability to survive and go beyond political intimidations. The move by the government is not going to be an easy pass as reactions are streaming in from across the state borders.The pomp and gaiety with which India celebrates its hundreds of festivals attracts the entire world. Festivals celebrated with the same significance probably in the same period or with little variation in different parts of the country with different names is the beauty of Indian ethnicity. Poila Baisakh in Bengal is Bihu in Assam and Vishu in Kerala. The same is Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra and Baisakhi in Punjab. These festivals share a common significance but are celebrated with local traditional flavours. The demand for nationalising Hindi in India is not new. Amit Shah stoked controversy through his tweet in 2019 in which he demanded that Hindi should become part of the Indian identity. As Hindi is widely spoken by a large population in the country, he reiterated to recognise it as the national language now. Much before in 2014, when the Modi government came to power for the first time, it had its directives given to the officers and employees of all ministries to use Hindi in their social media interventions. Linguistic inheritance is a sensitive issue in India. Especially the southern states which do not share a linguistic heritage in line with the Devanagari script and identify themselves with different language traditions are natural to resist the move. Tamil, one of the most ancient languages is an example. The Sangam literature, rich with philosophical aphorisms came to exist as early as 3000 BC. Hindi is relatively a younger brother to many classical languages in India with little contribution to the cultural eminence of the country. The last census depicts a clear picture of the linguistic propensities of Indians. According to it, about 56 percent Indians do not recognise Hindi as their first language. Nearly 44 percent Indians either speak Hindi or find the language comfortable for communication. When Hindi is dominant in some parts of the country, the remaining languages together take an upper hand resulting in a balancing act.The influence of English in a British colony such as India must be repulsive to the cultural nationalism propagated by the BJP. Swami Vivekananda had a different opinion on this. Vivekananda, who spoke English throughout his world tour was appreciated by his foreign audience for his in-depth knowledge, vocabulary and delivery in that language. He firmly believed that language could break barriers of territory and English, for him, was a medium of communication that he effectively used, to teach the world what India’s cultural tradition was. Nehru’s opinion on the choice of a national language was in line with what Gandhi viewed. He chose to believe that no country could become great based on a foreign language.&nbsp;He firmly believed that there should be consensus while choosing Hindi as India’s national language and he aptly rejected calling the demand of imposing Hindi on India as authoritarian. Both Gandhi and Nehru were of the opinion of having one Indian language being chosen as the national lingua-franca but they were aware of the complexity with which, at least in this case, the cultural linguistic diversity behaved. Political parties in Tamil Nadu have already registered their disagreement. The Congress party, with no special subject to unleash its attack on the government has come out against the ‘Hindi move’.&nbsp;As of now Hindi is not the national language. The more the BJP harps on the elevation of the language the more complex the situation becomes. We cannot but accept the circumstance that is emerging in different states. Large numbers of workers migrating from the northeast, Bihar and West Bengal into the state of Kerala have created a sudden urgency among the malayalis to learn and speak Hindi. Interestingly, workers from northeast, including those from Assam and Bengal conveniently communicate in Hindi with the Malayalis. The state, welcoming the employee influx, is helping the migrants with boards and hoardings in Hindi.&nbsp;I personally find an openness in the state with regard to its acceptance of Hindi as a language of communication with its ‘guest workers’ and an enthusiasm in learning it. But the state may not acknowledge an imposition.The Constitution provides each state the right to choose its own official language. A particular local language, deeply engraved into the collective cultural history of a particular state, is natural to move against the national language indicator. It is interesting to note that almost everybody from the northeast is multilingual. A person from Arunachal Pradesh can speak his local dialect along with Hindi, English, Assamese and Nepali. This is real with many other states in the northeast. But in the southern states the situation changes. Except for the cities, most of the villages go solo with their mother tongue. Challenging the country’s nationalistic essence and hammering on India’s diverse linguistic ethnicities, Rahul Gandhi’s quip in the parliament calling India a conglomeration of states was an indication as to what would be the stand of the parties, if the government goes on trying to enforce anything in the direction of its dreamy cultural nationalism. History of agitations for linguistic identity in India should remind us of our national life that proclaims that there is no language that can hold us together as a nation. If there is anything that holds us one, that is the essence of Indianness. The geographical ethnicity that we have been pulsating through for years, cementing the essence of being Indian with all its plurality flourishing across linguistic borders should remain intact.&nbsp;&nbsp;—The Hawk Features

The central government’s recent push to elevate Hindi as a national language has triggered uproar once again. Multilingualism, with different cultural elements living in unison in a geographical space such as India, makes it the most exceptional social experience. 

Hindi And The National Linguistic Dilemma

Do you love your language courses and truly feel interested in studying languages all your life even though you have an analytical brain? Do you belong to a rare group of youngsters who think grammar is not boring? Are you looking for a career that is beyond the horizon of the popular science, engineering and commerce careers? Do you really enjoy reading books for hours at a stretch? If the answers to all the above are an emphatic ‘yes’, then you may think of a career in Linguistics, a very important but not commonly pursued field with quite a few opportunities across diverse areas of occupations.

Linguists study the origin, evolution and development of languages to apply their knowledge in real-life and business situations such as the interpretation of historical documents, deciphering the encrypted or coded text, development of natural language processing computer software, and interpretation of written/spoken foreign languages. Linguist study to understand how people learn speech and languages, how do they use languages to communicate and how languages vary over cultures, communities, regions, and countries.


<h3>Why Become a Linguist?</h3>
You will study languages – how different languages originated, how they evolved over the ages, the different properties of speech and languages, and how they change and develop. You will apply your knowledge in various areas – from History and Anthropology to Sociology and Computer Science.&nbsp;&nbsp;

As a Linguist, you will research and study about the following areas and many other areas:

Phonetics – Phonetics is the study of the sound of human speech. It is concerned with the actual human sounds, and how they are produced and perceived.
Phonology – Phonology deals with how different sounds of speech are organized systematically to form and convey what one wants to say.
Syntax – Syntax deals with how words and phrases are arranged and structured using grammatical rules to form meaningful sentences.
Semantics – It deals with the study of semiotics which is the science of conveying meaning through signs, symbols, analogies and metaphors. It studies how meaning is conveyed in languages by use of words, signs and symbols.
Pragmatics – It is a part of semantics and involves the study of context or situation which influences the meaning of spoken and written languages.
Morphology – It studies how words are formed and their relationship to other words. For example, it examines the structure of words- the prefixes, suffixes, root words etc.
Discourse analysis – This involves the analysis of discourses in languages- written, spoken or sign languages.
Popular Specialization in Linguist Profession
Computational Linguists help develop various algorithms and software for natural language processing – such as speech recognition, speech-to-text, text-to-speech, speech synthesis, etc. They are involved in developing Artificial Intelligence in the processing of human languages.

You will study and research in your specialized area of Linguist to publish research papers on theories of Linguistic or applications of linguistics in different fields such as Cryptology, Natural Language Processing (an area of Computational Science), Human Development, etc.
You will work with Computer Scientists and Engineers to help them develop speech recognition software, text-to-speech software, algorithms for developing Artificial Intelligence in human language processing, and so on.
You will help government departments, defense forces, and business enterprises interpret foreign language; help intelligence agencies to decipher coded language; help police and investigative agencies in interpreting communication of alleged criminals to gather evidence.
You will Help Historians and Archaeologists in interpreting ancient languages; help Anthropologists in understanding a tribal language; help Development Workers to use appropriate languages to communicate with a community or tribe.


<h3>Undergraduate studies after school</h3>

To be a Linguist, after your school, you can study for an undergraduate degree in any Language or in Linguistics. In India, very few undergraduate degrees in Linguistics are available. But if possible, you can study in UK, USA, Australia and other countries. Many undergraduate programs in Linguistics or a dual degree program in a Language and Linguistics are available in Universities in these countries.

It may make better sense to complete an undergraduate or bachelor’s degree in a language, preferably in English or a Foreign Language or an ancient Language like Sanskrit and Pali. You can also study a modern Indian Language at the undergraduate level.

Alternatively, you can also study for an undergraduate degree in Physics, Biological Sciences (such as Physiology and Zoology), Mathematics, Computer Science, or Anthropology. Even, if you have a bachelor’s degree in Engineering/Medicine, you can switch to a career in linguistics after doing an M.A. and Ph.D. in a specialized area of linguistics.&nbsp;

<h3>Post Graduate Studies</h3>

As a career in Linguistics requires specialized and even super specialized knowledge, you must have a Post Graduate/Graduate Degree (as they call it in USA and Canada) in Linguistics/Applied Linguistics with a specialization in an area of your choice such as Computational Linguistics, Psycholinguistics, Phonetics &amp; Phonology, Clinical Linguistics, Developmental Linguistics, Sociolinguistics, etc.

You can do a Post Graduate Program in Linguistics after having an undergraduate or Bachelor’s degree in the areas mentioned under ‘undergraduate studies after school’.

Pre-Doctoral and Doctoral Studies:

Let’s put it straight. To have a really rewarding career in Linguistics, you will need a Ph.D. But in certain applied areas such as Computational Linguistic, Translation and Interpretation, etc. as well as in teaching, you can do with a Post Graduate/Graduate (as in USA, and Canada) degree. But the excitement in opportunities begins after your Ph.D. Before a Ph.D., you can do an M.Phil. as well.

<h3>Job Opportunities</h3>
Most of the job opportunities in this career are in academic research, in applied research or in teaching. You may also choose to be in translation/interpretation work. Following are some of the opportunities:

In Universities involved in theoretical or applied Linguistic research and teaching – you can join as a Research Fellow / Assistant Professor and grow into other positions
In Information Technology firms as a Language/Linguistic Specialist in the area of Computational Linguistics, Natural Language Processing, etc.
In colleges, language schools, and other institutions as a Language Teacher, Accent Trainer, etc.
In publishing companies in the role of a Sub-editor /Writer /Translator
In various companies as a Writer/Content Developer/Content Analyst/ContentWriter
In Business Process Management companies as a Language Coach/Trainer or as an Accent / Voice Trainer
You can take up various opportunities as an Interpreter and work with various companies, foreign consulates, Government departments, Government agencies, etc.
Find opportunities in Defense forces and intelligence forces.

<h3>Work environment</h3>
You will mostly work in academic and research settings – in Universities, Colleges, Language Schools or in similar settings in offices of Government, Defense forces, Police forces and business enterprises.
Some jobs may require you to travel occasionally to the field to help other professionals interpret foreign languages, help Defense/Police/Investigative agencies or for your own academic or applied research work.
Academic workplaces when you are in teaching such as Universities, Colleges and Language schools.
ama
<h3>Salary of a Linguist</h3>
During your Ph.D. in India, if you qualify in the UGC NET examination, you will get a stipend of Rs. 35,000 per month in the first 2 years and then Rs. 38,000 per month for the remaining years.
During your Post-Doctoral Fellowship, you may get about Rs. 40-45,000 per month.
In India, if you join a University or College as an Assistant Lecturer after your Post Graduate degree and clear UGC NET examination, you will earn about Rs. 60,000 a month.
If you join in a research position in an enterprise, including Government agencies, private sector companies, etc., then in the beginning, after your post-graduation, you may expect to earn about Rs. 40-45,000 a month in the beginning. If you join after your Ph.D. then you may earn about Rs. 60-80,000 per month.
As an Associate Professor or in an equivalent research position, you can earn about Rs. 100,000-1,80,000 a month.
Mid-level positions in the industry can fetch you about Rs. 1,20,000–2,50,000 or more per month.
As a Professor or in an equivalent research position, you can earn about Rs. 1,60, 000-2,25,000 a month.
Senior-level positions in the industry can fetch you about Rs. 1,80,000- 500,000 or more per month.
<h3>Career Progression in Linguist Profession</h3>
Most of the job opportunities in this career are in academic research, in applied research or in teaching. You may also choose to be in translation/interpretation work. Following are some of the opportunities:

In Universities, you can join as a Research Fellow and then after getting a Ph.D., join as a Post-Doctoral Fellow. In teaching roles, you start as an Assistant Professor, then become an Associate Professor, and finally a Professor.
In Information Technology firms you can join after your Master’s in domain specialist roles as an Analyst / Associate Analyst / similar. You will progress from a Senior Analyst to an Associate Consultant and become a Consultant. After your Ph.D. you can join as an Associate Consultant and grow through the ranks.
In colleges, language schools, and other institutions you can join as an Assistant Language Teacher, Accent Trainers, etc. and then grow into various senior roles such as Teacher, Senior Teacher, Teacher-in-Charge, Principal, etc.
In publishing companies, you can join as a Copy Editor and then become a Sub-editor. You can then grow as a Deputy Editor / Associate Editor and then become an Editor. You can also find work as a Writer / Translator.
You can join various companies as a Writer / Content Developer / Content Analyst / Content Writer and grow into senior-level roles.
In Business Process Management companies, you can grow from being a Language Coach/Trainer or as an Accent / Voice Trainer to Senior Trainer and then to Head of Voice/Accent Training or similar positions.
In Defense forces and intelligence forces.
<h3>ACCESS OUR FREE CAREER DASHBOARD</h3>
What does Industry Trends Say – Future Prospects
Linguists, and especially Computational linguists, find many opportunities in one of the most important and challenging areas in Computer Science and Engineering, i.e., NLP or Natural Language Processing. This is a certain area of growth as more and more regional and local languages will be used for access to the internet and using computers.

Computational Linguists will also find opportunities in developing artificial intelligence – speech recognition, learning, assimilation, and speech synthesis are some of the biggest challenges in creating artificial intelligence that can interact with humans like humans.

With increasing globalization, and more so over the next few years, Interpreters and Language Teachers will have many opportunities for work. But over the very long term period (10-20 years), the jobs of Interpreters may reduce as they could be replaced by artificial intelligence.

The overall prospect is moderate now and in the long term (5-10 years) and could remain moderate over 10-20 years period. Prospects for Computational Linguists will remain quite high though.

Do you love your language courses and truly feel interested in studying languages all your life even though you have an analytical brain?

Best choice of Career opportunities in Linguistics

New Delhi: There have been occasional debates and discussions related to the use of these two names -- India and Bharat -- in official documents and discourse. 
The term "India" is often associated with the country's colonial past and is the internationally recognised name. On the other hand, "Bharat" has deep cultural and historical roots in India's ancient texts and traditions.
The recent decision by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre to prioritise the use of "Bharat" over "India" has sparked debate over the nation's identity and history.&nbsp;
The opposition has alleged that invitations to the G20 Summit dinner, sent by Rashtrapati Bhavan, featured the term 'President of Bharat' rather than the usual 'President of India.'
This has sparked speculation that the government might introduce a resolution to officially rename India as Bharat during the upcoming special session of Parliament, which is being convened on September 18.
September has consistently been a month of debates for many years, and this can be traced back to September 1949 when there was intense discussion regarding the phrase 'India, that is Bharat...'. This debate followed the establishment of a committee on August 29, 1947, by the Constituent Assembly, with BR Ambedkar as its chairman, to draft the Constitution.
In 1948, the Draft Constitution of India began with Article 1, stating 'India shall be a Union of States.'
During the Constituent Assembly discussion, some members suggested alternatives like 'Bharat,' 'Bharat Varsha,' and 'Hindustan' for 'India.'
A year later, in September 1949, the Assembly revisited the issue to decide on the Union's name.
Ambedkar, on behalf of the Drafting Committee, moved an amendment proposing to change Article 1 of the Draft Constitution to ‘India, that is, Bharat shall be a Union of States.’
It appears that the Drafting Committee took onboard demands to include ‘Bharat’ in the clause. Interestingly, the Committee retained ‘India’.
However, the members found the overall phrase – ‘India, that is, Bharat’ – undesirable.
But at the end of the debate, Assembly members accepted Ambedkar’s amendment. And the Constitution of India 1950 opened with ‘India, that is Bharat, is a Union of States’.
The debate over "India" vs. "Bharat" is not just a linguistic quibble; it reflects the larger struggle to define India's identity in a rapidly changing world.
As the nation evolves, it's essential to recognise that both "India" and "Bharat" have their place in the mosaic of this diverse and vibrant republic.
We refer to our country as India in English and as Bharat in other Indian languages. Even in Dravidian languages it is Bharata in Tamil, Bharatam in Malayalam and Bharat Desam in Telugu.
In Hindi, the Constitution is referred to as ‘Bharat ka Samvidhan’. And Article 1 is, ‘Bharata arthat India, rajyon ka sangha hoga’.
The term "Bharat" has ancient origins, found in Hindu texts like the Mahabharata and Manusmriti. Advocates of 'Bharat' argue it represents the region's rich history and culture.
"India" isn't a recent term either; it was derived from the Indus River, crucial in early regional civilisations, popularised by Greek historians, and later adopted during British colonial rule.
For decades, India and Bharat have both stirred deep emotions among patriots, symbolising the diverse and rich tapestry of a nation. These labels of pride, however, have increasingly become tools for narrow political objectives.
To understand the "India vs. Bharat" debate, one must delve into the historical context of pre-independence India. It was a land of stark contrasts, where urban centres epitomised modernity and progress, while rural areas remained deeply rooted in traditional values and agrarian lifestyles.
This divide was not just economic but also cultural and linguistic, giving rise to two distinct, yet interconnected, ideas of the nation.
The proponents of "India" argued for an identity that represented the urban and modern face of the country. For them, India was about embracing science and technology, industrialisation, and global engagement.
On the other hand, the champions of "Bharat" saw the nation through a different lens. They celebrated the deep-rooted cultural values, traditions, and spirituality that thrived in the countryside. To them, Bharat represented the soul of India, embodying timeless wisdom and a connection to the land.
The Preamble, which begins with "We, the people of India," ultimately struck a balance by acknowledging both India's modern aspirations and its traditional roots. It incorporated the principles of justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity, encapsulating the ideals of a pluralistic and progressive nation.
The BJP has already renamed cities and places that were linked to the Mughal and colonial periods. Last year, for instance, the Mughal Garden at the presidential palace in New Delhi was renamed Amrit Udyan.
Critics say that the new names are an attempt to erase the Mughals, who were Muslims and ruled the subcontinent for almost 300 years, from Indian history.
The Congress is leading a new opposition alliance that was recently formed with the aim of unseating Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2024 general election. The 26-party Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, or INDIA, has made the potential name change an issue.&nbsp;
—IANS

There have been occasional debates and discussions related to the use of these two names -- India and Bharat

How Ambedkar settled the India-Bharat debate with the wording of Article 1

Geneva (Switzerland): A group of NGOs and social activists informed the United Nations about the Indian Constitution which protects the country's linguistic minorities, especially in the Northeast region. They were speaking at a side event organised by Sindhi Adhikar Manch (Association) titled “Linguistic Minorities &amp; Human Rights in India” during the 54th Session of the UN Human Rights Council. The panellists included Gobind Gurbani, CEO of Sindhi Adhikar Manch (Association), Parmita Sarma from Akshar Foundation and Arvind Kumar from Focus Global Reporter. Gurbani addressed the audience and emphasised that Article 30(1) of the Indian Constitution provided a fundamental right to linguistic minorities to establish and administer educational institutes of their choice. Article 350 A empowers the state to establish and impart primary education in the mother tongue Gurbani added that Sindhis came to India empty-handed after partition in 1947 but have been supported by the government as partners in nation-building. Sindhis are also contributing to India’s GDP. Gurbani said: "Our constitution is well defined to linguistic minorities, to minorities, everything is defined. But people from international platforms raise unnecessary issues to malign our government." He further said that external forces want to malign India’s image. “There are a lot of people. You see, I was here for the last eight days and I saw a lot of countries coming against Indians for mining, also for Kashmir. See our constitution. See their constitution. You will understand how India is so a very good and powerful country.” Meanwhile, Parmita highlighted developments in the North Eastern region of India in the last ten years. She commended India’s 2020’, which is a major step to preserve culture, and heritage and provide employment to aspiring students. She cited that the Indian government has taken all steps to develop the NE region and the Prime Minister of India has visited North East 60 times in his tenure, which is now full of healthcare hospitals, technological schools and Management institutes, changing the lives of people of North East. Arvind Kumar explained about Manipur and said that the state has an indigenous population, mainly Meitis and Nagas. Kuki - Zo ethnics mainly came from across the border, that is Myanmar and Bangladesh. Manipur state has a linguistic diversity based on their ethnicity as well they are practising Christianity and Hinduism. Recent clashes in Manipur between Meitis and Kuki Zo community were not religious as falsely propagated by countries like Pakistan and the Western media, he said adding, that the media had a vital role to play in checking their facts while uploading images and captions and hashtags in their Social Media handles. Arvind Kumar conveyed the message that Kukis migrated and settled as refugees from Myanmar. Kukis started poppy cultivation and claimed illegitimate land rights as there are 4000 Kuki refugee settlers in Manipur. Ethnic clashes in Manipur took a toll of vandalising more than 200 Churches, whereas more than 300 Meiti temples were also damaged and not reported by the media, especially from the West. Interestingly, eight Meiti churches were vandalised by the Kuki community in Churachandpur in Manipur. Therefore, there have been losses on both sides, and the clash had no religious motivation. —ANI

A group of NGOs and social activists informed the United Nations about the Indian Constitution which protects the country's linguistic minorities

The Hawk

Tag : Linguist

Hindi And The National Linguistic Dilemma

Rishab

The Hawk

Tag : Linguist

Hindi And The National Linguistic Dilemma

Rishab

More about Linguist

Best choice of Career opportunities in Linguistics

How Ambedkar settled the India-Bharat debate with th ...

Indian Constitution Provides Fundamental Rights To L ...