Research project T3_3 Socio-linguistics (India)

This project investigates the sociolinguistic situation of the tribal state of Jharkhand in eastern India, which is shaped by decades of social inequalities and linguistic diversity. The state is home to 32 distinct tribes and various non-tribal populations, who have co-existed for centuries, if not millennia. Continued interactions between such varied groups raise interesting questions regarding historical modifications stemming from their [un]equal social relations. There are about 20 languages spoken in this state which belong to different language families (i.e. Indo-Aryan, Austro-Asiatic and Dravidian). The project focuses on five major tribes (major, in terms of accessibility and population) along with the non-tribal communities. Linguistic identity, social inequality, and multilingualism are three aspects which are investigated at the core of this study. The tribal population has been switching to the lingua franca of the state, leaving their mother tongues behind. However, this movement is not the same throughout the five communities under study, which also means some communities are linguistically more diverse than others. This raises interesting questions about intra-community relations (social relations, marriage patterns) and their fabrication. Issues of language labelling indicating [un]equally shared power are also quite evident in the area. The project thus aims to explore and elaborate on aspects of linguistic prestige and language attitudes borne from strictly hierarchical society along with linguistic identities structured from [un]equal relations in the state, with a focus on historical factors leading up to these modifications.
 

The religious Sarna prayer by the Oraon tribe at Sarna sthal in Gumla, Kharkhand. (Photo: Ariba Hidayet Khan)

Interview session of participants from the Oraon community with student assistants in Gumla, Jharkhand. (Photo: Ariba Hidayet Khan)

Interview session of participants from the Kharia community in Simdega, Jharkhand. (Photo: Ariba Hidayet Khan)

Path from one village to another in Chaibasa, Jharkhand. (Photo: Ariba Hidayet Khan)

Languages of Jharkhand (Source: www.madaanmaps.com )

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Project by: Ariba Hidayet Khan akhan@roots.uni-kiel.de