Context

• The decision to close the only Gondi-medium school in a village in Maharashtra raises crucial questions about the preservation of linguistic and cultural rights, the power dynamics embedded in education policies, and the broader socio-political neglect of Adivasi communities.
• While the official justification for the closure is based on procedural concerns, a deeper analysis reveals a historical and systemic bias against tribal languages and cultures.
• Therefore, it is important to critically examine the implications of the closure within constitutional, socio-political, and cultural contexts.

The Constitutional and Legal Framework

• The establishment of the Gondi-medium school in Mohgaon village was a progressive step towards ensuring that tribal students receive primary education in their mother tongue.
• The initiative aligned with Article 29 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees minorities the right to preserve their distinct languages, scripts, and cultures.
• Additionally, Article 350(a) mandates the state to make provisions for children from linguistic minorities to receive education in their mother tongue.
• These constitutional safeguards acknowledge the importance of linguistic diversity in India’s pluralistic democracy.
• However, the closure of the school has been justified on the grounds that it is not registered under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009.
• The administration argues that non-recognition could lead to challenges in monitoring educational standards and might jeopardize students' future academic prospects.
• While these procedural concerns are valid, they should not override the constitutional commitment to minority linguistic rights.
• The government's refusal to formally recognise the school suggests a deeper issue of power and systemic bias rather than a mere legal technicality.

The Politics of Recognition and Subordination

• The non-recognition of the school reflects a broader structural and socio-political subordination of Adivasi communities.
• The state’s normative bias against tribal languages and cultures is evident in its refusal to acknowledge Gondi as a medium of education.
• This bureaucratic resistance must be understood in the context of historical oppression and marginalisation of Adivasi communities.
• Jawaharlal Nehru believed that tribal communities should be allowed to develop according to their own traditions and knowledge systems.
• This vision was shaped by the historical reality that colonial policies had devastated many indigenous communities worldwide.
• In response, the Indian Constitution incorporated special provisions to protect tribal rights, including land ownership, cultural preservation, and linguistic diversity.
• However, despite these constitutional safeguards, tribal communities continue to face systemic marginalisation, particularly in education and language policies.

The Issue of Forces of Absorption and Linguistic Suppression

• Forces of Absorption
  • Since Independence, Adivasi communities have been subjected to forces of absorption, both secular and religious, that have eroded their cultural identities.
  • The secular forces of absorption operate through the state and market mechanisms, while religious forces work through the denigration and erasure of tribal belief systems.
  • The closure of the Gondi-medium school represents a form of state-led absorption, where the lack of official recognition undermines the legitimacy of tribal education systems.
• Linguistic Suppression
  • One of the most striking examples of this linguistic neglect is the exclusion of major tribal languages like Gondi and Bhili from the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, which recognizes 22 languages.
  • According to the 2011 Census, Gondi is spoken by over 2.9 million people across six states, yet it remains unrecognised at the national level.
  • In contrast, Sanskrit, spoken by fewer than 25,000 people, enjoys state recognition and institutional support.
  • This disparity highlights the socio-political power imbalance in language recognition, where dominant cultural groups shape policies to their advantage, while marginalised communities struggle for basic linguistic rights.

The Urgency of Preserving Adivasi Languages

• The Oral Nature of Adivasi Languages and the Threat of Extinction
  • Unlike many dominant languages that have a well-established written tradition, Adivasi languages primarily exist in oral form.
  • Their knowledge systems, folk tales, myths, songs, religious practices, and historical narratives, are passed down verbally from generation to generation.
  • This oral tradition makes Adivasi languages highly vulnerable to extinction, as they rely on active usage rather than written records for survival.
  • As younger generations shift to dominant regional or national languages due to educational and economic pressures, there is a risk that traditional knowledge embedded in Adivasi languages will be lost forever.
  • Once a language disappears, an entire worldview, along with its unique ways of understanding nature, medicine, governance, and spirituality, vanishes with it.
  • This loss is irreversible, making the need for preservation urgent.
• The Impact of Modernisation and Globalisation
  • The forces of modernisation, urbanisation, and market-driven economies have significantly accelerated the decline of Adivasi languages.
  • As tribal communities integrate into mainstream society, the pressure to adopt dominant languages such as Hindi, Marathi, or English increases.
  • Schools, government institutions, and employment sectors predominantly operate in these languages, making fluency in them a necessity for economic survival.
  • This linguistic shift creates a generational divide where younger members of the community lose proficiency in their native tongue, while elders remain its last custodians.
  • Over time, as the elder speakers pass away, the language is pushed to the brink of extinction.
  • Without active efforts to promote and teach Adivasi languages within formal education and daily life, they will continue to fade, erasing an integral part of India’s cultural diversity.
• Exclusion from Institutional Recognition and Support
  • The neglect of Adivasi languages is institutionalised in India’s language policies.
  • While the Constitution recognises 22 languages in the Eighth Schedule, major tribal languages like Gondi and Bhili are absent.
  • This exclusion has following consequences:
  • Lack of Educational Support
    • Schools do not offer instruction in Adivasi languages, forcing tribal children to study in unfamiliar languages.
    • This creates a learning barrier, leading to poor academic performance and high dropout rates.
  • Limited Literary and Media Presence
    • Without official recognition, there is little incentive to develop books, newspapers, digital content, or broadcasts in Adivasi languages, restricting their reach and development.
  • Government Apathy in Language Preservation
    • The absence of state support means there are no significant efforts to document, standardise, or promote these languages, leaving their survival entirely dependent on community efforts.
  • The failure to acknowledge and promote Adivasi languages reflects deeper inequalities in India’s language policies.

Conclusion

• The preservation of Adivasi languages is a race against time; each passing generation witnesses a decline in the number of fluent speakers, and with them, invaluable cultural knowledge disappears.
• The state’s failure to recognise and promote these languages reflects broader issues of neglect and marginalization.
• However, with proactive measures, ranging from constitutional recognition to community-driven initiatives, it is possible to reverse this trend.
• Recognising and promoting these languages would not only uphold constitutional values but also ensure that India remains a truly pluralistic society that respects and nurtures all its cultures.