Language Education in Nagaland: Sociolinguistic Dimensions

This book seeks to fill in a long felt need of providing a bird’s eye view of the issues involved in language education in Nagaland in particular and perhaps North-East India in general, where ethnicity and nationalism are often seen as confronting one another. Growth of literacy has only added to state of discontent as people have become increasingly aware of the role of education in development, but the slow pace of socio-economic changes is unable to cater to their emerging aspirations. It is often claimed that to plan language is to plan society, but the language planners in the country are hardly aware of the diversity of context(s) and hence the need to appraise them was long over due. There is a growing feeling in the North-East that political problems permeate all fields, which needs to be questioned. This book is a modest attempt in that direction so that others can first evaluate the complex multilingual setting and then join in the debate and create a feeling in the Nagas that their needs and aspirations are worth a genuine look for they may provide for the most valuable lessons to those who value diversity and want to manage it without impairing its essence. This book brings together views of some of the important functionaries and ideologies in different linguistic communities of Nagaland with an aim to stir those who are on the fringes to join in the endeavour to shape their own destiny. Language development requires conscious effort, which can provide for an opportunity for the development of the people. This book may appraise the people of the work to be done.