An in depth look at the endangered languages and the related issues of social justice and law a comparative study of the laws for evolving a suitable framework for india

Abstract

newline Linguistic diversity in present times is a matter of major concern and growing newlinesocial significance, because a majority of all the living languages are facing newlinethreat of language death and disappearance.1 newline It is stated that out of around 6,000 newlinesurviving languages in the world, 200 have become extinct and 538 are critically newlineendangered.2 newline Language is the medium to pass on our ideas, knowledge and newlineidentity from one generation to next. It is expected that 50 percentage of the six newlinethousand plus languages currently spoken will not live on to see the 22nd newlinecentury.3 newline And with the demise of last fluent speaker of the concerned language, newlinethe language dies. This should not be seen as mere loss of a language rather newlinedeath of centuries-old knowledge which shaped their culture, tradition and newlineidentity at large. Hence, the preservation of a language in the community newlinebecomes indispensable part for revival of their cultural identities, values and newlineheritage. With disappearance of unrecorded/undocumented oral languages newlineespecially indigenous ones, often results in grave loss to the humankind not only newlinein terms of cultural heritage but also in terms of vital traditional knowledge newlineembedded carried by those languages.