Introduction

We have seen the unequal relations between languages and how they influence translation This also gets reflected in the way they are published and read, and the enthusiasm with which they are promoted by established publishing houses. The example of India will help us to focus on the crucial issues of translation and its dissemination. What appears to be commercial data actually indicates the undercurrents of cultural and literary power.

Translations are undertaken and published on a large scale in India today. Translation workshops and conferences are common and many universities have translation studies as part of their syllabi. There are publishing houses like Katha that are conscientiously bringing out translations which are representative of the multiple linguistic groups in India . They are also getting read by a major part of the population. Still, it remains a fact that the dominant language is English and that all the translation is being done from an Indian language into English. The publication statistics reveal an interesting story of unequal relationships among languages and the aspirations of relatively minor languages of India .