Aishwarya Lakshmi
India is a linguistically diverse country where, as per the 2011 Census, at least 121 languages are spoken - 22 Scheduled and 99 Non-Scheduled. This linguistic diversity has more often than not sparked tensions and controversies in the Country. Keeping in mind that, a National Language is the language of the Nation and an Official Language is a language used in the country for official purposes, here we attempt to answer whether India has any national language.
Indian Constitution about Languages
As per the Constitution of India, the Eighth Schedule recognizes 22 Official Languages.
The Constitution in Article 120 states that the business of the Parliament of India shall be transacted in Hindi or English and the chairman of the council of states or speaker of the house of the people may permit a member to speak in his mother tongue if he cannot express himself in Hindi or English.
Similarly, Article 210 states that the business of the respective State Legislatures shall be transacted in the respective Official Language(s) of that State or in Hindi or in English.
Part XVII entirely deals with “Official Language”. According to this Part, the Official Language of the Union is Hindi in Devanagari Script and the States are given the freedom to adopt any one or more of the languages in use in the State or Hindi as the language or languages to be used for all or any of the official purposes of that State.
As per Article 348, the Language of proceeding in the Supreme Court or High Courts, the authoritative text of the legislations etc. are to be in English. However, the Governor of a particular State may authorize any other language or Hindi to be used in the High Courts.
Article 351 imposes a directive duty on the Union Government to promote the spread and development of Hindi Language.
As per Article 394A, the authoritative text of the Constitution of India is also translated and reproduced in the Hindi Language.
Initially, the Constitution gave a time-frame of 15 years after which English shall be removed from the languages for official purposes. However, in the 1960s there was agitation in the non-Hindi speaking states and hence the Official Languages Act, 1963 was enacted which allowed English to continue for official purposes.
Hence, it is very clear that as per the Indian Constitution there is no National Language, but still, bureaucrats have been making attempts of crowning Hindi as the National Language of India. High Courts have also been given the task of assessing whether India has any National Language. There is a split opinion from various High Courts throughout the country and it is up to the Supreme Court to give a final and binding judgment in this matter.
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