New Delhi: Language represents culture, community and regional identity – not trust. With this approach, the Supreme Court of India refused to quash the Bombay High Court order allowing Urdu to use Urdu on the sign of a municipal council building in Maharashtra.
Confirming the linguistic rights of diverse communities in India, the apex court said on Tuesday that language should be a tool of communication, not the source of division.
In its judgment on a challenging petition on a petition of Urdu on the official signage of a new municipal council building in Akola district, the apex court said that Urdu uses the sole purpose of “effective communication”.
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Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and K. The bench of Vinod Chandran ruled that displaying an additional language does not have the amount for violation of the Maharashtra Local Authorities (Official Languages) Act, 2022. The judges further stated that the Act does not ban the use of Urdu.
“If people or groups of people live within the area covered by the municipal council, then there should be no objection if Urdu is used in addition to the official language, ie, in addition to Marathi, at least on the signboard of the city council. Language is a medium for the exchange of ideas that are not a reason for people who are rushed and not a reason to bring outwardness.”
The apex court agreed with the argument of the High Court that there was no legal prohibition on the use of Urdu under the 2022 law or any other law. The appellant’s case was seen based on the misconception of the law. As a result, the court decided to dismiss the appeal.
The appellant, a former municipal council member, said that all the official business of the council should be specially held in Marathi, arguing that Urdu use is unacceptable – even at least it exhibits at the official signal.
The primary argument of the appellant before the High Court was that, since Marathi is the official language of the state, all the official work including local bodies should be conducted by the government and its agencies only in Marathi. On this basis, the appellant claimed that the use of Urdu in any form is unfair and should be banned.
However, the apex court stated that language should not be equal with religion, as it reflects culture, community and regional identity – not trust.
“Let our concepts be clear. Language is not religion. Language does not represent religion. Language is related to a community, from one region, for people, and not for a religion. Language is the language culture. Language is a yardstick for measuring a community and its decent march. So Urdu is a case of Urdu, which is the best sample, which is the best sample. Ganga-Jamuni TahebOr Hindustani TehzeebWhich is the overall cultural ethos of the plains of northern and central India. But before the language became a tool for learning, its first and primary objective will always remain communication, “ Said this.
The court highlighted the linguistic inclusion and cultural significance of the language, stating that according to the 2001 census in India, “had a total of 122 major languages including 22 scheduled languages and a total of 234 mother tongues,” and that Urdu was the sixth most spoken scheduled language in the country.
“In fact, it is spoken by a portion of the minimum population in all states and center areas, perhaps in our north-eastern states.
In short, the court advocated respect, inclusion and practicality in language choice for official purposes, especially in diverse countries like India.
“We, the people of India have taken great pain in solving the language issue at the Center, which is our unique achievement given the linguistic diversity of the nation, as we are repeatedly mentioning,” Read the decision.
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‘Misconception is foreigner to India’
The apex court focused on the role of Urdu’s indigenous roots, linguistic dynasty and a bridge between various communities. “Prejudice against Urdu arises from the misunderstanding that Urdu is foreign to India. This opinion is afraid, as Urdu like Marathi and Hindi, is wrong, is an Indo-Aryan language. It is an Indo-Aryan language. It is a language that was born in this land,” said this.
Urdu, the bench added, due to the need of people of various cultural miles in India, Fala -Fula, which was to communicate among themselves. “For centuries, it has ever received more refinement and became the language of choice for many acclaimed poets,” it said.
The decision briefly explains the history of the language debate in India, from the days of freedom movement to the days of the freedom movement, when many Indians accepted Hindustani-a mixture of Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi as a common language spoken by a large population.
This belief was formally given in 1923 in the Indian National Congress’s Cokenada (Kakinada) session, where the Congress agreed to adopt Hindustani for its official use.
“Nehru admitted that Hindustani is bound to become an all -India medium of communication, as it is spoken by a large number of people in the country. At the same time, he emphasized the importance of provincial languages, asserting that this intention was not to change the provincial languages with Hindustani.
On the constitutional importance and recognition of Urdu, the bench stated that the language is also used by the Supreme Court and other courts. “Urdu words have a huge impact on the parlance of the court in criminal and civil law. court To Halafanama To CupThe influence of Urdu is large in the language of Indian courts. For that case, even though Article 348 of the Constitution is the official language of the Supreme Court and the High Courts, the use of many Urdu words continues in this court till date. This includes Vakalatanama, Dastietc.”
The decision then became engrossed in true difference between languages - in Syntax, grammar and vowel science, where Urdu and Hindi striking similarities share.
“It may also be equally interested to know that when we criticize Urdu, we are criticizing Hindi in a way, as according to linguists and literary scholars, Urdu and Hindi are not two languages, but it is a language. Truth, is mainly written in Urdu. Nastlak And Hindi in Devanagari (SIC); But then scripts do not make a language. The languages that make different are their syntax, their grammar and their vocal science. Urdu and Hindi have comprehensive similarities in all these cases, “the court ruled.
Saying this, “If there are inequalities, there are many more between Hindi and higher Hindi, such as between Urdu and high Urdu. But there are close similarities between Hindi and Urdu, when these are spoken day to day.”
Ruchi Bhattar is a trainee with a trainee
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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