Mark Twain rightly said; “India is the cradle of the human race, the birth place of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend and the great grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only.”
In many aspects, India is one of the most diverse Nations in the World and one of them is the number of languages spoken in India. It is such diversity that makes India the quintessence of Democracy. Any non Hindi speaking citizens cannot be adjudged any lesser Indian than Hindi speaking citizens. We do not need a particular language to prove our nationality. In fact, it will place at a stark disadvantage for the non-Hindi speakers on the ground that language has the feasible to divide as much as to unite.
India is a Union of State having diverse linguistic Cultures and such linguistic diversity is the epitome of our cultural heritage. The Constitution of India under Article 343 has incorporated the official language of the Union to be English and Hindi.
Article 345 provides for the State Legislature to adopt anyone or more language or languages or Hindi as the language or languages to be used for all or any of the official purpose of that State.
Article 29 further protects the interest of minority by engraving the right of the citizens to conserve their distinct language, script or culture of its own.
Article 30(1) also provides that all minorities, based on religion or language, shall have the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice. This implies the right of a minority community to impart education or instruction to the children of its own community in the institution run by it and its own language and if such right is infringed, an institution run by the community may seek relief for violation of any fundamental right.
It is also reiterated that as per Article 343, Hindi is not a National language, it is an official language. As such, One language, One religion or One dress code in no way signifies unity. India is a Democratic Republic Nation and so it should always strive for its unity with the ideology of democracy for all the religion and language and not otherwise.
Although, Article 351 of the Constitution lays down the duty upon the Union to promote the spread of Hindi language to develop it so that it may serve as a medium of expression for all the elements of the composite culture of India, it is also imperative to note that no expressive provision stating Hindi as the National language can be sourced. Only 22 official languages have been recognised in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution of India whereas India is home to more than thousand mother tongues.
Therefore, any attempt to impose compulsory Hindi all over India where the inclusiveness is represented by our vast cultural, customary and linguistic diversity is an imminent threat to the very fabric of existence. Be it Hindi, English or any other language, any restriction in the choice of a particular language will give rise to fissiparous.
To learn and acquire a particular language is the discretion of an individual and system of knowledge. Therefore, when someone has the necessity to learn a particular language, no force can deny him/her that right. As for instance, I am a proud Naga and I am proud to speak in my own language. Nobody can dictate me to speak Hindi, English or any other language. The rest is my necessity.
While acknowledging the importance of Hindi language, it will be absurd and diminishing to impose Hindi on non-Hindi speaking citizens. Therefore, imposing Hindi for the purpose of integration requires utmost care and tact. Instead, it is encouraged that State should constantly take the necessary steps to integrate and safeguard the language of the linguistic minorities into the education system as State is equally responsible to create equal opportunity for everyone regardless of Class, Caste, Creed, Colour, Religion and Language.
Hence, “diversity and not majority is the strength of India”. Therefore, in the light of the above, Coercion or Compulsory to speak Hindi or any particular language in any manner is itself an invective to that language.
C. TALIMOA
President, Nagaland Law Students’ Federation (NLSF) (2019-2021)
President, Mokokchung Law College Students’ Union (2014-2018)
Para Legal Volunteer (PLV), Mokokchung District Legal Services Authority
(MDLSA) (2015-2018)
Phone No. 8787653048