Author(s): Madhushri Kallimani

Abstract: Language and the issues related with the language, have always been relevant in the history and contemporary times. Language is not merely a method of communication but rather an epitome of existence, identity and culture. While language and culture are interdependent, all the aspects connected to language pave a trajectory for the growth and death of a particular language. Language is a social, political and psychological construct. Today, though the world is still struggling hard to cope with the language of power and politics, English, we are witnessing the language debates persistent in countries of diversity and vernacularity. In the history, though English was introduced as a colonial weapon, today it has transformed as a language of survival, status and hegemony. Language has a wide scope of introspecting itself through the lens of caste, identity and hybridity. The mother tongue and the other tongue have always been in rivalry signifying the fight for existence. This paper will discuss the different debates on language, politics of language constructed in the Indian society on different platforms of culture. In order to present the vivid dimensions, the poems “Which Language should I Speak?” by Arun Kamble, “Language” by Sananta Tanty and “Search for my Tongue” by Sujata Bhatt are chosen.

Keywords: Language, identity, politics, cultural hegemony, and colonial influence.

Article Info: Received: 27 Sep 2024; Received in revised form: 25 Oct 2024; Accepted: 04 Nov 2024; Available online: 11 Nov 2024

DOI: 10.22161/ijels.96.5