[lg policy] Short essay on the Governments Language Policy of India

[Harold Schiffman]

Short essay on the Governments Language Policy of India

    Smita Sharma


The central government is entitled by the constitution to formulate
and implement the language policy. According to Article 350 centre is
responsible to safeguard the cultural interests of the minorities and
to see that they have adequate facilities for receiving at least
primary education through their mother tongue.

Article 351 entrusts the responsibility of developing and spreading
the official language with the centre Article 345 ensures the state
govts, a freehand to adopt either a regional language or the official
language of the union for the official purposes of the state.

Never in the history of India a single language has been used. The
language of the ruler determined the language of the government of
During Muslim dominance it was Persian and English during British
rule. Political independence in 1947 brought with it demands for
cultural and emotional independence. Now India thought of adopting an
official language.

Many literary societies and language organizations were set up in the
19th and early 20th centuries to exert their influence over the choice
of the official language policy. India being a multi- parity democracy
many political parties have also served as pressure groups influencing
the post independence modifications in the official language policy.

During the national movement there was a general consensus among
leaders (both Hindi and non-Hindi) on the question of making Hindi the
official language.

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