ALL INDIA RADIO- 9TH NOVEMBER 2015

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IMPORTANCE OF HINDI LANGUAGE

AIR Spotlight topic on 9^th November is not useful for the exam. Hence we picked up a topic “TENTH WORLD HINDI CONFERENCE” aired on 13^th September, 2015.

Here is the link: Click here and search for 13^th September, 2015 Spotlight/News Analysis.

• The 10^th World Hindi Conference was held recently in Bhopal from 10^th to 12^th September, 2015.
• The concept of World Hindi Conference was first mooted by the “RashtraBhashaPracharSamithi” in 1973.
• In 1975 it organized the first World Hindi Conference.
• The objective of the conference was to deliberate on how to make Hindi as a medium for serving the mankind; on how it could be recognized as a language of the UN and become a world language serving the cause of humanity.
• This objective was rooted in our ancient motto “Vasudeva Kutumabakam” – “One World One Family”.
• The conference has the blessings of Acharya Vinobhabhave
• Emphasizing the Hindi spirit of SevaDharm, Kaka SahebKalelkar said, “Service is the religion of all of us and Hindi is the medium of that service.”

At present, Hindi is not a national language. Under Part XVII, Article 343, the official language of the Union is both English and Hindi with Devanagari script.

Article 348 of the Constitution says that English should be the official language for court proceedings in Supreme Court and High Courts (higher judiciary).

However, clause (2) of Article 348 enables the Governor of a State to introduce Hindi as official language in the High Court that State with the prior consent from President.

In the past, the Law Commission in its 216^th report of 2008 rejected introduction of Hindi as a compulsory language in the SC and HCs.

The 1835 Macaulay Minute gave importance to English education and neglected other languages. Lord Macaulay wanted to create “a class of persons Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste, opinions etc.”

This led to the rise of English as a medium of communication, and in fact life, in India.

After returning from South Africa in 1914, Mahatma Gandhi toured the entire country. He found that Hindi is the only language which can be understood by people from any corner of the country.

A number of freedom fighters came from non-Hindi speaking provinces, but conversed in Hindi and fought for its spread and development – Mahatma Gandhi, C Rajagopalachari, Subhash Chandra Bose, Bal GangadharTilak etc.

As per reports, by the end of 21^st century, out of nearly 6000 languages worldwide, 90% will disappear.

English, Chinese and Hindi will dominate the future digital world.

Mahatma Gandhi said, “A nation is dumb without a national language.In my opinion, Hindi can be our only national language and that it should be.”

What steps can be taken to spread Hindi and make acceptable to all?

1. Adopt important words from different languages
2. Teaching Hindi language and literature in foreign universities
3. Administrative files and documents should be made available in Hindi fully
4. In 1977, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the then foreign minister, addressed the UN General Assembly in Hindi. Like this, our national leaders should speak in Hindi in international forums

P.S. Please refer to the 7^th Chapter – Consolidation of India as a Nation –> The Language Problem and Official Language part in “India since Independence” by Bipan Chandra for agitations and conflicts against Hindi as national/official language during 1960s.