A Plea for Hindi

In one of the early sessions of the Constituent Assembly, R. V. Dhulekar, a Congressman from the United Provinces, strongly advocated for Hindi to be the language used in constitution-making. When informed that not all members understood Hindi, Dhulekar boldly stated that those who couldn’t understand Hindustani were unfit to be Assembly members and should leave. This assertion caused chaos in the Assembly, but Dhulekar persisted with his speech in Hindi. Eventually, peace was restored through Jawaharlal Nehru’s intervention, but the language issue continued to disrupt proceedings for the next three years.

Nearly three years later, on September 12, 1947, Dhulekar’s speech reignited the language debate. By this time, the Constituent Assembly’s Language Committee had proposed a compromise: Hindi in the Devanagari script would become the official language gradually over fifteen years, while English would remain the official language in the interim.

Each province could choose a regional language for official use within its borders. However, Dhulekar rejected this compromise, insisting that Hindi should be declared the National Language, not just an Official Language. He criticized those who opposed Hindi and mocked those who advocated for Hindustani over Hindi as the national language, invoking Mahatma Gandhi’s name. Despite interruptions from the Assembly’s President, Dhulekar continued to press his case with fervor.

Class 12 History Notes Chapter 12: CBSE Class 12 History Notes are essential for students studying Social Science, as History is a crucial sub-subject that requires properly written answers. Scoring well in History is just as important as other subjects. This chapter is about the discussions and debates about choosing India’s national language during the making of the constitution.

These notes are helpful for students preparing for their board exams as they provide a clear understanding of the language debates during India’s constitution-making process.