In Country A, some groups felt that the State did not respect their sentiments about language and culture and forced them to adopt only one official language. What does this situation indicate?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Authoritarianism
Option (1) Practice of Pluralism — Incorrect. Pluralism means accepting and accommodating many languages, religions and cultures side by side. A state that forces a single official language on everyone does the opposite of this.
Option (2) Authoritarianism — Correct. An authoritarian state is the opposite of a democratic state: the people have no voice, those in power are not accountable to anyone, and civil liberties are limited. In Country A the groups’ feelings about their language and culture are ignored and one official language is forced on them, which is how a state behaves when people have no say in decisions that touch their lives.
Option (3) Nationalism — Incorrect. Nationalism is the feeling of belonging to a nation, of being one people with a shared identity. A state may impose one language in the name of national unity, but the situation described is about how the state treats its people: it overrides their wishes instead of listening to them.
Option (4) Consolidation of culture — Incorrect. Forcing one language on unwilling groups does not join their cultures together; it suppresses every culture but one.
NCERT (2025-26): “6.4 State and Civil Society … You may have noticed that much of this chapter has been concerned with the state. The state is indeed a very crucial institution when it comes to the management of cultural diversity in a nation. Although it claims to represent the nation, the state can also become somewhat independent of the nation and its people.…” “…An authoritarian state is the opposite of a democratic state. It is a state in which the people have no voice and those in power are not accountable to anyone. Authoritarian states often limit or abolish civil liberties like freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of political activity, right to protection from wrongful use of authority, right to the due processes of the law, and so on. Apart from authoritarianism, there is also the possibility that state institutions become unable or unwilling to respond to the needs of the people because of corruption, inefficiency, or lack of resources.…” |