Nationalism, Language, and Identity in India

This book examines linguistic nationalism in India. It focuses on the emergence of language as a marker of identity by analysing themes such as Linguistic Reorganization of States, nationalism, philology, and linguistic identity. Formulating a novel conception of doxastic nature of community experience, the author presents a theory about nationalism as a cultural phenomenon by studying the constraints of western theological apparatuses that limit our understanding of it. The book looks at how an ecclesiastical notion of community is at the heart of the debate around linguistic and national identity – something that is redefining politics the world over.

This volume will be useful for scholars and researchers of political studies, political sociology, sociology, historical linguistics and cultural studies.

A.P. Ashwin Kumar is Senior Fellow, Centre for Learning Futures, Ahmedabad University, Ahmedabad, India. He has previously worked with the Centre for the Study of Culture and Society, Bangalore. His research focuses on cultural difference and its implications for social theorising in general. He is also a translator between English and Kannada.