Hindi is not a National Language

Hindi, as it is used today, is regarded as a national language due to its common use throughout the nation. among various languages in India, Hindi is the only language that is not state or region-specific. Moreover, it is spoken by more than 40% of the Indian population. which is a huge portion. However, Hindi is only designated as India’s official language by the Indian Constitution, just like any other official language, and not as a national language. In fact, being a country of many religions and languages, the Indian language policy is not in favor of any one language. The Indian Constitution recognizes 22 additional languages, including Hindi and English as Scheduled Languages.

Describe the Language Policy of India

When we think about the Indian languages, the first thing that comes to mind is Hindi. Of course, Hindi is an important aspect of India’s language policy, however, it is not a national language. In fact, there is no national language constituted by the constitution of India.

When it comes to language policy, it’s important to understand the distinction between a country’s national language and its official language. While the national language is the language most widely used in cultural, political, and social domains, the official language is the language used for all government operations.

Language Policy of India

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History of Languages in India

India is a vast country with a rich cultural heritage and thousands of languages. Because of its long history, it has been a melting pot of cultures, religions, and ethnicities. In addition to these, India has a long history in the field of language. There is an old saying in India that languages change every 60 to 80 kilometers. Many languages are used in daily life in a multilingual society like India. One language may be preferred for domestic and social groups, another for administration and work, and a third for religious discourse, and it’s all very normal and on daily practices....

Hindi is not a National Language

Hindi, as it is used today, is regarded as a national language due to its common use throughout the nation. among various languages in India, Hindi is the only language that is not state or region-specific. Moreover, it is spoken by more than 40% of the Indian population. which is a huge portion. However, Hindi is only designated as India’s official language by the Indian Constitution, just like any other official language, and not as a national language. In fact, being a country of many religions and languages, the Indian language policy is not in favor of any one language. The Indian Constitution recognizes 22 additional languages, including Hindi and English as Scheduled Languages....

The Language Policy of India

Here are a few important features of India’s Language policy:...

Spread of Hindi but Cautiously

The leaders of India initially chose to support Hindi as the nation’s official tongue. However, the Idea was opposed in some non-Hindi-speaking regions. The Dravidians in particular, whose language was very different from Hindi. As a result, it was decided to use both Hindi and English for official purposes, which is still continued today....

Conclusion

As can be seen, there has been debate over India’s official language for years. On the side, English has served as a de facto official language in India, on the other side, Hindi has been playing the role of the de jure national tongue of India. for such a coexistence, the historical, cultural, social, and political contexts of Indian languages are responsible to a great extent. Even though it is still a topic of debate to choose an official language of India, we can say that both Hindi and English, along with other regional languages, are coexisting with great harmony throughout the different regions of India....

FAQs on the Language Policy of India

Question 1: What is language policy in Indian Constitution?...