Postcolonial Linguistic Marginalization: The Kalasha Language in Pakistan's National Discourse

Abstract

The Kalasha language (an Indo Aryan language) which is being spoken by approximately 5,000 indigenous speakers in Pakistan's Chitral region, now facing critical endangerment sequel to systematic marginalization within the country's postcolonial linguistic framework (Younus, Farhat, & Ahmad, 2023). This study examines the historical perspective of Kalasha’s marginalization (since independence to till now); how Pakistan's monolingual nationalist discourse, educational policies, and institutional rejection have faster language decline. Through a postcolonial linguistic lens, this study contextualizes the linguistic imperialism that perpetuates hierarchical language structures, positioning Urdu and English as dominant while relegating indigenous languages to minor status (Petersen, 2015). This study further examines existing literature across sociolinguistics, postcolonial studies, and language policy to demonstrate how structural inequalities manifest in educational exclusion, media absence, and governmental neglect. Findings reveal that Kalasha's endangerment results not from natural language evolution but from deliberate policy choices that privilege national cohesion over linguistic diversity. The paper advocates for urgent interventions including constitutional recognition of indigenous linguistic rights, implementation of mother- tongue-based multilingual education, increased media representation, and community driven revitalization programs. Without government’s intervention, it can cause the huge loss of Kalasha language as well as its rich culture and historical heritage that have survived centuries of social transformation from one century to another.