This Hindi – and Hindi alone – counsel is flawed

Source– The post is based on the article “This Hindi – and Hindi alone – counsel is flawed” published in The Hindu on 21st October 2022.

Syllabus: GS1- Regionalism. GS2- Indian Constitution

Relevance– Regionalism based on language

News-  The article explains the need for continuation of English as an official language. It also explains constitutional and statutory provisions related to language.

What are the recommendations of the official language committee?

Hindi should replace English as the language of examinations for recruitment to the government.

Hindi should be the only medium of instruction in Kendriya Vidyalayas, IITs, IIMs and central universities.

It should be constitutionally binding on State governments to propagate Hindi.

What is the official language committee?

The official language committee is a statutory committee constituted under Official Language Act, 1963.

Its duty is to review the progress made in the use of Hindi for the official purposes of the Union and submit a report to the President. Committee’s recommendations are required to be acted upon by the government.

What are the constitutional provisions related to language?

Article 343 of the Constitution declares that Hindi in Devanagari script shall be the official language of the Union. The English language will continue for 15 years from the commencement of the Constitution.

Parliament may provide by law that English will continue even after the period of 15 years. Parliament enacted the official languages Act in 1963. It provided for the continuance of English indefinitely as official language along with Hindi for the official purposes of the Union and for transaction of business in Parliament.

What can be the consequences of Hindi imposition?

Language is an emotive issue. It has the potential to divide people. It was evident in violent protests in southern India during the 1960s when the Union tried to replace English with Hindi.

Once Hindi replaces English, the language used in the examination for recruitment to the all India services will be Hindi alone. Therefore, candidates from the non-Hindi States, the south in particular, will face a great disadvantage.

India has two major groups of languages, the Indo-European language group and the Dravidian language group. It was English which brought the northern and southern regions together. If Hindi is imposed, it may be a threat to the unity of India.

Why is it necessary to continue with English language use?

It is necessary to address the concerns of the people of the southern region on account of language. The overwhelming public opinion in the south is that English should continue as one of the official languages.

The mood of the Constituent Assembly was in large measure influenced by the freedom struggle, the nationalistic aspirations and Gandhiji’s strong advocacy of a national language.

That mood slowly changed over the years as India began interacting with the world.

English was crucial in acquiring knowledge in science and technology as well as in other fields of human activity.

In these circumstances, the policymakers should seriously think of making the constitutional provisions that Hindi and English should be the official languages of the Union. Other countries like Canada also have two official languages.