Papers by Dripta Piplai (Mondal)
Social Identities, 1–15., 2025
In nineteenth-century Bengal, the language standardization of Bangla to create Sadhubhasha (chast... more In nineteenth-century Bengal, the language standardization of Bangla to create Sadhubhasha (chaste Bengali) was central to the emergence of a print-based imagined community. Constructed through a deliberate process of infusing Sanskrit vocabulary and excluding Persian-Arabic elements and regional dialects, Sadhubhasha became the privileged means of literary production and print culture among the local elites or Bhadralok. But the construction of print culture in standardized Bangla perpetuated exclusionary dynamics against marginalized groups, including Bengali-speaking Muslims (also lower caste and other underprivileged people). This paper investigates how, in reaction to the exclusionary currents of standardization, Bengali Muslims developed an alternative vernacular literary community (Sahitya Samaj) in Bangla and (re)appropriated Bangla in their own way. They tried to ensure individuality (Swatontrota) in their linguistic choice by (re)appropriating/modifying Bangla in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. While discussing certain structural elements of Bangla used by them, this paper argues that the process of modification/(re)appropriation of Bangla by the Bengali Muslims can be read as dismantling the monolithic idea of the standard Bangla. It also shows that the modification of Bangla by Bengali Muslims was the expression of the community's ethno-cultural identity, while the linguistic changes themselves served to cement community solidarity.
Postcolonial directions in Education, 2025
The educational policies put forth by the British colonial empire led to a homogenisation of lang... more The educational policies put forth by the British colonial empire led to a homogenisation of language education policy in India to the detriment of the language diversity or heterogeneity that existed before British colonisation. The study aims to analyse how postcolonial policies for language education reform addressed the heterogeneity question through a comparison of the states of Kerala and West Bengal with a focus on the decade of the 1990s when India experienced intense economic, technological and educational globalisation after its economy was liberalised (Kumar 2014). In particular, the study will critically survey how these policies attempt to preserve the heterogeneity of language in primary-level school education systems, including the National Education Policy (2020). We draw on government documents, reports, and other archival records to inform and support the analysis. Our findings reveal the limited effectiveness of postcolonial initiatives in reinstating the spirit of plurality and multilingualism in primary education.
Cadernos de Tradução, 2025
This study examines the decisive role of translation as a method of linguistic documentation and ... more This study examines the decisive role of translation as a method of linguistic documentation and its implications for language standardisation, focusing on the case of Rajbanshi, a language spoken in northeastern India. It critically engages with Charu Chandra Sanyal's (1965) documentation of Rajbanshi in relation to earlier colonial initiatives, particularly Grierson's Linguistic Survey of India (1909), which employed translation as a primary tool for data collection. While translation has historically been seen as a neutral mechanism for representing linguistic diversity, this study argues that translation has instead functioned as an instrument of linguistic hierarchy and standardisation, reinforcing dominant language ideologies. By examining both colonial and postcolonial approaches to translation-based linguistic documentation, the study highlights how the standard language ideology (SLI), as conceptualised by Lippi-Green (1997) and Kroskrity (2004), has shaped Rajbanshi's representation. It demonstrates how translation choices-ranging from lexical selection to value attribution-have influenced Rajbanshi's classification as a dialect of Bengali, marginalising its linguistic distinctiveness. The analysis extends to contemporary linguistic policies, revealing how recent efforts to standardise Rajbanshi (2015-2016) echo colonial-era documentation biases. By tracing the historical trajectory of translation in linguistic data collection, this study calls for a re-evaluation of translation-based documentation methodologies to ensure more inclusive and representative linguistic records.
Current Issues in Language Planning, 2025
Imposed political boundaries have an enormous impact on language communities. In this paper, we e... more Imposed political boundaries have an enormous impact on language communities. In this paper, we explore the status of an indigenous language in a region that has a long, shared history and culture. Focusing on two areas across a political border, i.e. Bangladesh and West Bengal, India, this paper examines the major language policies and practices of the two regions in relation to Kurukh and compares the use of Kurukh with references to the policies across the border. Data was collected from six groups of Kurukh-speaking adult community members based in Rangpur (Bangladesh) and Alipurduar, West Bengal (India) which was analysed using the themes of 'profit' and 'pride' associated with Kurukh. The study revealed commonalities in the two contexts as well as identified important sociolinguistic differences that are likely to determine the trajectory of Kurukh. Informed by the data emerging from the study, we propose some policy recommendations that are feasible and can be useful in protecting the Kurukh language and culture in Bangladesh and India.
South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies, 2024
A new linguistic hierarchy emerged in nineteenth century colonial Bengal with the implementation ... more A new linguistic hierarchy emerged in nineteenth century colonial Bengal with the implementation of a centralised education system in the English language by the British and the codification of a new vernacular, sadhu-bhasha (standard Bangla). This new linguistic hierarchy paved the way for the social othering and linguistic marginalisation of several social groups, including Bengali-speaking Muslims. This study investigates the position of Bengali-speaking Muslims in this changed socio-linguistic landscape and explores the factors that contributed to its creation. The research highlights that Bengali Muslims navigated linguistic hegemonies shaped by the implementation of English, the promotion of standard Bangla and the pressure of Urdu, the language for asserting pan-Indian Islamic identity. This study explores the constant linguistic negotiations Bengali Muslims undertook in shaping their language of education. It traces how language became a source of social exclusion for them on the path to gaining formal education both inside and outside their community.
দৃ pা িপপলাই ফারাkা ,থেক গŋা ,পিরেয় মালদা ,জলা 5r ৷ িকছ9 টা উtর িদেক িগেয় মালদা ,জলার িবsার ,যখাে... more দৃ pা িপপলাই ফারাkা ,থেক গŋা ,পিরেয় মালদা ,জলা 5r ৷ িকছ9 টা উtর িদেক িগেয় মালদা ,জলার িবsার ,যখােন kীণ, মEােপর িদেক তাকােল পিGমবŋ একটা সr িফেতর মত, তার পিGমিদেক িবহার আর পL েবM বাংলােদশ ৷ ওই সr িফেতর মত জায়গায় sান কের িনেয়েছ িকছ9 gামীণ sু ল ৷ sু েল িনয়মমািফক পড়ােনা হেc pথম ভাষা বাংলার বই ৷ ছাtছাtীরা ,তা সকেলই পিGমবাংলার বািসnা ৷ অথচ রাজশাহীর পL বM বাংলা আর িবহােরর িহিn ওই সr িফেতর মত পিGমবাংলার ভাষায় জােলর মতন আটেক রেয়েছ ৷ ইংেরজবাজার bেকর ,গাপালপ9 র gােমর ,ছাট ,মেয়_ তাই ,য ভাষা বEবহার কের ,রাজ, তার িশকড় ছিড়েয় িগেয়েছ িতন_ িদেক ৷ ওই একই bেকর ,গািবnপ9 র gােমর মালপাহাড়ীয়া িকmা সঁ াওতাল িশ5 িশকড় ছিড়েয়েছ ভাষােkেtর চার_ pােn ৷ মালদাইয়া বাংলা িকmা রাজশাহী বাংলা, িহিn, সংিমিcত বh পিরিচত ,খাeা উপভাষা এবং মালপাহাড়ীয়া অথবা সঁ াওতািল ৷ এই বhভািষক িশ5েদর ইsু েল হািজরার হার চমৎকার ৷ সাkরতার pেg িশkক ,জরবার ৷ প9 rিলয়া টাউন ,থেক pায় পhাশ িকেলািমটার দূ ের ঝালদা ২ bক ৷ ঝালদার জাতীয় সড়ক চলেল িগেয়েছ রঁ াচী ৷ আর এই অhেলর মান9 েষর ভাষাও বাংলা ,থেক kমশ িমেশ িগেয়েছ আhিলক িহিnর সােথ ৷ ঝালদা bেক রেয়েছ এমন িকছ9 gাম, ,য gাম ,থেক সাইেকেল আট দশ িকেলািমটার আসেত পারেল উc িবদEালেয় ,পঁ ৗছেত পাের িশ5রা ৷ একিদেক 5কেনা জŋল আর আেরকিদেক লmা পথ পািড় ,দবার dেভM াগ, এই িনেয়ই sু েল যায় িশ5রা, যােদর অেনেকরই বািড়র ভাষা কp মM ািল ৷ সাkরতার হার ,কমন এই অhেল ? বh ,kেtই সpম িকmা অqম ,cনীর ছাtছাtীর অkর পিরচয় ঘেটিন ৷ প9 rিলয়ার এই অhেলও কp মM ািল,সঁ াওতািল আর বাংলা িমেশ sতরী হেয়েছ এক নতp ন িমc ভাষা, যার সােথ িমেশ িগেয়েছ িহিn ৷ পt িথবীর নানা pােn ,বশ কেয়ক_ কারেণ িমc ভাষার জn হয় ৷ পিGমবেŋর d_ অhেলর িনিরেখ এই d_ িমেশল ভাষার উেlখ করিছ এই ,লখায় ৷ এই িমেশল একিদেক ,যমন বhজেনর dারা pতEহ বEবhত হয়, আবার ,তমিন এই িমেশল ভাষা বEবহােরর ফেল এই অhল d_র িশ5েদর ,বশ িকছ9 সমসEার সmু খীন হেত হয় িনয়িমতভােব ৷ এই সমসEা of
Old Research Report, could write it in a different way now.
Uploads
Papers by Dripta Piplai (Mondal)