Bloody Language: Clashes and Constructions of Linguistic Nationalism in India

Abstract

The Center for 21st Century Studies, a UW System Center of Excellence at the University of WisconsinMilwaukee, is a postdoctoral research institute founded in 1968 to foster cross-disciplinary research in the humanities. This series of occasional, online Working Papers provides a forum for rapid distribution of ideas in texts that are not yet ready or suitable for publication in more formal academic publications, but still offer valuable content. Usually the authors of Center Working Papers will be Center fellows, invited speakers, or others with significant ties to the Center, although we reserve the right to make exceptions. We regret that we are unable to consider unsolicited submissions.

Ideology and Representation of the Nation: Aggressor and Transgressor in Film Sarfarosh

“…Nevertheless, in addition to this, as perceived and motivated by the economic liberalization and free media exchange, Urdu language may be the last stronghold and source of survival in Bollywood cinema (Aneesh, 2010;Virdi, 2003). The increasing global popularity of Bollywood films is due to the song and dance sequences and is the contribution of the Parsee theatre and Urdu language (Dudrah, 2008;Mehta, 2005;Mishra, 2009;Novak, 2010;Schaefer & Karan, 2010).…”

“…In this context, Hindu extremists contributed largely in dividing the country. Furthermore, Aneesh (2010) asserted that language politics also played a crucial role in the partition of subcontinent alongside religion. A well-known scholars such as Virdi (2003) argued that after the partition, Urdu as the language of Muslims was not given its official identification.…”

Citizenship and inequality in a global age

“…Even though the debate about the welfare state's resilience or retrenchment is not settled (Allan & Scruggs, 2004;Pierson, 2001), the increasing global mobility of capital and people compels us to think and talk about citizenship, welfare, and inequality beyond the nation-state (Aneesh, 2010;Deckard & Heslin, 2016). The diversion of capital accumulation, for instance, to low tax regimes around the globe has become a challenging issue for countries like the United States.…”

Racism without Races: Reflections on Racialization and Racial Projects

“…The response from those who find the concept of ‘racialization’ useful would be that there is no reason, conceptually, logically or sociologically with precisely such a project. Even a cursory perusal of the history of the emergence of race thinking leaves no doubt about the fact that in addition to the obviously somatic and other biologic markers, many groups have been racialized precisely through the deployment of, among others, religious, national and linguistic criteria (Ignatiev 1995; Winant 2001; Roediger 1992; Aneesh 2010; Deshpande 2005; Trautmann, 2005; Robb 1995; Stepan 1982; Thapar 2005). Beteille’s (2004: 52) argument that ‘the metaphor of race is a dangerous weapon whether it is used for asserting white supremacy or for making demands on behalf of disadvantaged groups’ is not only not convincing but could also prove to be quite dangerous if it is taken seriously by those at the receiving end of racial discrimination.…”

“…Here, it may appear as if the issue under discussion has nothing to do with racism as such, but indeed the logic and effects of such ‘culture talk’ is precisely the same as what is usually recognized as real racism. There is no shortage of such expressions of racial projects based on culture, language and religion, in the past and in the contemporary world (Aneesh 2010; Baber 2004; Benjamin 1975).…”