In a globalizing world where Hindi and English hold currency, mother tongues are becoming endangered. The government doesn’t acknowledge they exist nor are they taught in schools. People who speak minority languages or ‘mother tongues’ are too old or not interested in passing them on to their kids. 

“The concept of non-discrimination lies at the heart of human rights,” reads the first line of a statement issued by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, this year on December 10, recognized the world over as Human Rights Day.

Pillay’s statement underscores the fact the spirit of human rights lies in “non-discrimination.”

Yet, discrimination on the basis of language, among others, is a common, although often ignored grounds for human rights violations in India.

Our linguistic diversity is under threat because linguistic minorities are gradually letting go of their mother tongues. This coupled with the government’s passive attitude towards preserving these languages has earned India the dubious distinction of being the country with the most number of endangered languages – in the world.

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