Language, Media, and Identity Politics in Northeast India: Government Communication and Digital Visibility

Abstract

This paper is about media and technology, language sustainability and identity politics in the margins of the digital and linguistic landscape of Northeast India. It is home to over 200 languages and dialects, and is under-represented in dominant digital infrastructures. The study, which considers the Critical Digital Studies, Media Ecology, Postcolonial Theory, Sociolinguistics and public relations approach, examines the impact of digital platforms, state intervention and institutional communication on the visibility of language and cultural recognition. It explores how these factors, such as algorithmic reach, monetization, English subtitles, script support and platform design, affect the visibility of indigenous language(s) through comparative analysis of digital content, using anonymized cases of content creators, and evidence from regional digital practices. Special focus is paid to the way language functions as an identifier of identity and the ways in which the language of government communication can reinforce, negotiate or marginalise linguistic identities in policy, digital projects, and official representations. Additionally, the analysis brings the limitations of the Unicode standard to light, as well as the unequal support of translation and the differences in technological access. The paper does not see digital presence as being synonymous with linguistic sustainability, but rather considers it to be about participation, cultural legitimacy, accessibility and the ability of communities to speak for themselves in digital and institutional communication spaces, in unequal media and governance arrangements in practice.