In India today, the traditional tolerant attitude toward linguistic and ethnic heterogeneity has given way to a drive for language autonomy. The national language policy appears susceptible to the sensitivities of different pressure groups, while the state policies have been slow to respond to the sensitivities of language minorities. Today, language development agencies insulated from each other by sharp boundaries, all committed to diverse traditions, seem to be pulling in different, at times contradictory, directions in the name of modernization, resulting in discord and tension. Efforts of the national and state governments in shaping language policy are discussed, as well as those of volunteer organizations. The use of the adaptation model, rather than the handicap model, is advocated for language reform. In order to counter the fractionalizing tendencies, it is considered essential to draw upon the traditional virtues of language tolerance promoted through language hierarchy, grassroots multilingualism, and fluidity in speech behavior. (Author/AM)