The National Language

LET us consider the question of the national language. If English is to become our national language, then it must be made a compulsory subject in our schools.

But let us first consider whether English can become our national language. Some of our learned men, who are also good patriots, contend that even to raise the question betrays ignorance. In their opinion, it already occupies that place. On a superficial consideration, this view appears correct. Looking at the educated section of our population, one is likely to gain the impression that, in the absence of English, all our work would come to a stop. But deeper reflection will show that English cannot, and ought not to become our national language.

Let us see what should be the requirements of a national language :

1. It should be easy to learn for Government officials.

2. It should be capable of serving as medium of religious, economic and political intercourse throughout India.

3. It should be the speech of the majority of the inhabitants of India.

4. Everybody should find it easy to learn.

5. In choosing such a language, considerations of temporary or passing interest should not count.

English does not fulfill any of these requirements.

Then, which is the language which fulfils all the five requirements ? We shall have to admit that it is Hindi.

I call that language Hindi which Hindus and Muslims in the North speak and which is written either in the Devanagari or Urdu script. There has been some objection to this definition.

Hindi and Urdu

It is argued that Hindi and Urdu are two different languages. But this is incorrect. Both Hindus and Muslims speak the same language in Northern India. The difference has been created by the educated classes. Educated Hindus Sanskritize their Hindi with the result that Muslims cannot follow it. In the same way, the Muslims of Lucknow Persianize their Urdu and make it unintelligible to Hindus. To the masses, both these languages are foreign, so they have no use for them. I have lived in the North and have mixed freely with both Hindus and Muslims, and, though my knowledge of Hindi is limited, I have never found any difficulty in carrying on communication through it with them. Therefore, call it Hindi or Urdu as you like, but the language people in Northern India speak is the same thing — basically. Write it in the Urdu script and call it Urdu, or write the same in the Nagari script and call it Hindi.

The Script

There now remains the question of the script. For the present, Muslims will certainly use the Urdu script and most of the Hindus the Devanagari. I say "most" because thousands of Hindus even to-day write in the Urdu script and some even do not know the Nagari script. Finally, when all causes for distrust between the two communities have been removed, the script which has greater range and is more popular will be more widely used and thus become the national script. In the intervening period, Hindus and Muslims who desire to write their petitions in the Urdu script should be free to do so and these should be accepted at all Government offices.

No other language can compete with Hindi in satisfying these five requirements. Next to Hindi comes Bengali. But the Bengalis themselves make use of Hindi outside Bengal. The Hindi-speaking man speaks Hindi wherever he goes and no one feels surprised at this. The Hindi-speaking Hindu preachers and the Urdu-speaking Maulvis make their religious speeches throughout India in Hindi and Urdu, and even the illiterate masses understand them.

Thus Hindi has already established itself as the national language of India. We have been using it as such for a long time. The birth of Urdu itself is due to this fact.

Muslims kings could not make Persian or Arabic the national language. They accepted the Hindi grammer, but only they used more Persian words in their speech and employed the Urdu script for writing. They found that they could not carry on social and business intercourse with the masses through a foreign tongue. Similar is the case with the English rulers.

National Language

Thus, we see that Hindi alone can become our national language. No doubt this presents some difficulty to the educated classes of Madras. But for Maharashtrians, Gujaratis, Sindhis and Bengalis, it should be very easy. In a few months, they can acquire enough command of Hindi to be able to use it for national purposes. It is not so easy for Tamilians. Tamil and other languages of the South belong to the Dravidian group. Their language structure and grammer is different from that of Sanskrit. The only thing in common between these two groups is their Sanskrit vocabulary. But the difficulty in learning Hindi is confined to the present educated classes only. We have a right to appeal to their patriotic spirit to put forth a special effort to learn Hindi. If Hindi attains to its due status, then it will be introduced into every school in Madras. And Madras will be in a position to cultivate acquaintance with other provinces. English has failed to reach the masses, but Hindi will do so in no time.

— True Education : p. 21.

And when it is remembered that the primary aim of all education is, or should be, the moulding of the character of pupils, a teacher who has a character to keep need not lose heart.

Young India, 1-12-1933