Language is a double edged sword. It can act as an efficient bridge, building consensus and cooperation or it can also be the source of deep contentions depending on how you navigate through the language issue in a diverse society. Along with a long list of indigenous languages India had the additional burden of ‘English’, the ‘kind’ leftover from the colonial meal, to deal with. Hence our Constitution makers had a huge problem, which had no easy solution, from the very beginning. This essay seeks to briefly examine the milestones in this journey of language federalism starting from the post-independence period attempting to analyze the position we have finally reached in this seventy fourth year of independence.
By the time of Independence, English language had gained a strong foothold in India. As has been emphasised countless times India is a state where no two regions are alike. To hold this land of deep diversity together a common language was deemed necessary. The troubling question was the inevitable choosing that had to be done. Different variants of Hindi and English were the obvious contestants for this position. After long deliberations on this issue a half-hearted compromise called ‘Munshi-Ayyangar Formula’ was concluded. According to this formula English was also included along with Hindi as the official language for fifteen years. The power of extension was vested in the Parliament. The Nehru government enacted a statute titled ‘Official Languages Act’ in 1963 when the period of 15 years was about to end causing an uproar among South Indian states. The Act was once again amended in 1967 during Indira Gandhi’s government which provided for the indefinite use of English and Hindi as official languages.
Language has always been a divisive issue in India. A language embodies a living culture. Hence the question of language becomes the question of the significance of the identity in a newly formed nation. This crisis of identity was especially true regarding the case of the South Indian states with distinct mother tongues other than Hindi. Periyar’s Justice Party, later renamed Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam(DMK), has been in the forefront leading agitations against the imposition of Hindi. The agitations reached a heightened note when the fifteen-year period was about to end in 1965. Efforts by Indian Government to switch to Hindi as the sole official language attracted the wrath of the South Indian states. Riots broke out in different Indian states especially in Madras. DMK called for an Anti-Hindi Conference on January 17, 1965. Students and DMK workers committed suicide by self-immolation. Finally, in February 1965 Congress Working Committee passed a resolution stating the indefinite use of English and Hindi and subsequently the Official Languages Act was amended in 1967 accordingly.
In 1968 the three language formula was chosen with regard to language learning. According to this formula people of Hindi speaking states were to study Hindi, English and a modern Indian language and people from Non Hindi speaking states were to study their regional language, Hindi and English. The three language formula worked well on paper. Hindi speaking states were not at all enthusiastic in implementing this three language formula. The insistence on studying a regional language was comfortably forgotten. In reaction to this distorted implementation of the formula schools in Tamil Nadu stopped teaching Hindi. Over a period of time different states implemented different variants of this three language formula and the issue subsided.
Language issue has been in the backseat for a while until the NDA governments embarked on a journey to glorify the Hindi language. Recently the debate has been revived by the major overhaul proposed by the National Education Policy in the education sector. One of its key suggestions is regarding the three language formula that has been followed till now. NEP has proposed to make the mother tongue as the medium of instruction till class fifth and even beyond that. Though it endorses the continuation of the three language formula, it offers greater flexibility since no language will be imposed on a state. This is yet another blow on the people from South India who speak neither Hindi or English. Both English and Hindi act as the channels to a wider world of opportunities, Hindi being the language prominently used in India and English being the global tongue. If there is anything we have learned from the language debate, it is the fact that there is no one size fits all solution when it comes to language issues in a deeply diverse country. When we read this move to endorse mother tongue with the simultaneous push for Hindi as a national language we realize that the left out people would be the minority who speak other languages who will be rejected from the job market due to the lack of expertise in English and from mainstream social and political debates due to the lack of proficiency in Hindi.
Along with this there have been open and subtle remarks regarding the ruling party’s inclination to make Hindi the national language. While speaking at the Rajbhasha award ceremony on Hindi Divas 2019 Union Home Minister Amit Shah hinted at the necessity of having a national language simultaneously giving reasons for why Hindi language is fit to be deemed one. This remark attracted a surge of criticisms from various political leaders across India. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/amit-shah-says-hindi-should-be-made-national-languag e -draws-oppn-ire/articleshow/71129172.cms ) Actor Rajinikanth reacted to Amit Shah’s pitch in strong words saying “not just Tamil Nadu but none of the Southern states will accept the imposition of Hindi” which subsequently resulted in the trending twitter hashtag ‘#RajiniOpposesHindiImposition’ (https://www.livemint.com/news/india/not-just-tn-but-no-southern-state-will-accept-imposition-of-hindi-rajinikanth-1568802544128.html).
These instances show how language issues still have the potential to divide this huge landmass into warring zones. India is a country with a unique federal structure designed especially to hold this amazingly diverse society together. Language is a decisive factor in cementing center state relations especially in a country like India. One reason for the success of India’s democracy is the careful maneuvering of the language issue by the political elites. A Language isn’t merely a medium of expression. A thriving and vibrant language is the sign of a distinct way of life. It is the question of a dearly held identity and any question of identity would provoke violent reactions. India has so far accommodated the language demands in some form. This accommodation of differences, this space for every minority to grow, this lucrative environment to flourish has been the success formula of Indian democracy. Recent provocations to undermine this legacy have called for unwanted political rhetoric on this seemingly forgotten issue. Let us hope that the political leaders of our country, in the coming years, would be prudent enough to handle this double edged sword with greater care being mindful of the sharpness that can, if not handled well, create a rupture.
