LEGAL PROTECTION OF ENDANGERED LANGUAGES IN INDIA WITH REFERENCE TO MEGHALAYA

Abstract

As for as India is concerned many Indian languages have become threatened and even endangered because of globalization. In India, English is thriving and is used widely by the young generation, and this is one of the reasons leading to the extinction of native or regional languages. Today Hindi is also expanding and because of this many regional languages will become extinct. In the State of Meghalaya there are three basic tribes known as Khasi, Garo and Jayantia. They speak either Khasi, or Garo, but their dialects differ. Even the Khasis who are living in East Khasi Hills, especially in Shillong have different dialects as compared to the other Khasis. These languages are used by many but they do not have their own scripts. That is why these languages were not placed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India. A speaker of any language which is not in the Eighth Schedule, cannot be awarded the Jnanpith Award and furthermore their languages cannot be the medium of the UPSC. Article 29 of the Constitution of India mandates that no discrimination would be done on the ground of religion, race,, caste or language and Article 30 mandates that all minorities, whether based on religion or language, shall have the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice. In addition, the Legislature of a State may by law adopt any of the languages to use in the state. Article 350 B of the Constitution says that there shall be a Special Officer for linguistic minorities and he/she has to be appointed by the President. It shall be the duty of this Officer to investigate all matters relating to the safeguards provided for linguistic minorities under the Constitution and report to the President upon those matters. Protection of the regional languages has been provided in the Constitution and it is the duty of the educational institutions to provide basic education to the children in their own vernacular languages should they want to be educated in their vernacular language.