LANGUAGE PROBLEMS IN INDIA (SHORT)

 

Language Problems:

The language problem was the most alienating issue in the first twenty y ears of independent India, and it created the disagreement among many that the political and cultural unity of the country was in danger. The Indian constitution recognizes twenty -two major languages, including English and Sanskrit. In addition, there are myriad languages spoken by the tribals and others, with or without their own scripts. The problem posed to national consolidation by linguistic diversity has taken two major forms. These are discussed here in two separate sections: (i) the dispute over official language of the union and (ii) the linguistic reorganization of the states.

The controversy on the language issue became most virulent when it took the form of opposition to Hindi and tended to create conflict between Hindi-speaking and non-Hindi-speaking regions of the country. The Country’s official works could not be carried in so many languages. Only two candidates were available for the purpose: English and Hindi. The Constituent Assembly heatedly debated which one should be selected.

Hindi had been accepted by leaders from non-Hindi-speaking regions because it was considered to be the most widely spoken and understood language in the country. Lokamany a Tilak, Gandhiji, C. Rajagopalachari, Subhas Bose and Sardar Patel were some of Hindi’s enthusiastic supporters. In 1925, Congress amended its constitution to read: ‘The proceedings of the Congress shall be conducted as far as possible in Hindustani. The English language or any provincial language may be used if the speaker is unable to speak Hindustani or whenever necessary.

Gandhiji and Nehru both supported Hindustani, written in the Devanagari or Urdu script. But once Partition was announced, these champions of Hindi were emboldened, especially as the protagonists of Pakistan had claimed Urdu as the language of Muslims and of Pakistan. In the end the Congress Legislative Party decided Hindi would be the official and not the national language. Nehru encourages the knowledge of English because of its usefulness in the contemporary world.  The main fear of the Hindi Critics was the adoption of Hindi as the official language would place non-Hindi areas, especially South India, at a disadvantage in the educational and economic spheres, and particularly in competition for appointments in government and the public sector.

The constitution provided that Hindi in Devanagari script with international numerals would be India’s official language. English was to continue for use in all official purposes till 1965, when it would be replaced by Hindi. Hindi was to be introduced in a phased manner. After 1965 it would become the sole official language. However, parliament would have the power to provide for the use of English for specified purposes even after 1965. The state legislatures were to decide the matter of official language at the state level, though the official language of the Union would serve as the language of communication between the states and the Centre and between one state and another.

Hindi suffered from the lack of social science and scientific writing. In the 1950s, for example, there were hardly any academic journals in Hindi outside the literary field. A major weakness of the Hindi protagonists was that, they tried to sanskritize the language, replacing commonly understood words. This led many uncommitted persons to join the ranks of the opponents of Hindi. Nehru and the majority of Indian leaders, however, remained committed to the transition to Hindi as the official language.

In 1956, the Report of the Official Language Commission, set up in 1955 in terms of a constitutional provision, recommended that Hindi should start progressively replacing English in various functions of the central government with effective change taking place in 1965. However due to some opposition, The President issued an order in April 1960 stating that after 1965 Hindi would be the principal official language but that English would continue as the associate official language without any restriction being placed on its use. Meanwhile Hindi leaders attack Nehru for delaying the replacement of English. In 1957, Dr Lohia’s Samyukta Socialist Party and the Jan Sangh launched a militant movement, which continued for nearly two y ears, for the immediate replacement of English by Hindi. Fully aware of the danger that the official language issue could pose to Indian polity , the leadership of the Congress took the grievances of the non-Hindi areas seriously and handled the issue with great care and caution.

Lal Bahadur Shastri, Nehru’s successor as prime minister, was unfortunately not sensitive enough to the opinion of non-Hindi groups. He declared that he was considering making Hindi an alternative medium in public service examinations. This meant that while non-Hindi speakers could still compete in the all-India services in English, Hindi speakers would have the advantage of being able to use their mother tongue. . Many non-Hindi leaders in protest changed their line of approach to the problem of the official language. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and C. Rajagopalachari, for example, demanded that the constitution should be amended and English should be made the official language of India.

On 17 January, the DMK organized the Madras State Anti-Hindi Conference which gave a call for observing 26 January as a day of mourning. They raised and popularized the slogan: ‘Hindi never, English ever.’ They also demanded amendment of the constitution. There was a widespread riots and violence by the early week of February. Despite facing economic problems and the weakening of the Congress’s position in parliament in the 1967 elections, Indira Gandhi moved the bill to amend the 1963 Official Language Act on 27 November. It provided that the use of English as an associate language in addition to Hindi for the official work. The parliament also adopted a policy resolution.

The Government of India took another important step on the language question in July 1967. On the basis of the report of the Education Commission in 1966 it declared that Indian languages would ultimately become the medium of education in all subjects at the university level, though the time-frame for the changeover would be decided by each university to suit its convenience.

Since 1967, this problem has gradually disappeared from the political scene, demonstrating the capacity of the Indian political system to deal with a contentious problem on a democratic basis, and in a manner that promoted national consolidation. The use of Hindi as an official language has also been growing though English is still dominant. Simultaneously, English, as a second language, has been spreading fast, including in the Hindi-speaking areas. Both English and Hindi are likely to grow as link languages just as regional languages are more and more occupying the official, educational and media space