LOK BHASHA, NOT RAJBHASHA

Syllabus:

GS-2:

  • Challenges to the Federal System .
  • Issues affecting India.

Why in the News?

The debate over Hindi’s status as Rajbhasha (official language) has resurfaced, questioning its effectiveness in fostering national unity and linguistic inclusivity. Over the past 75 years, Hindi has neither emerged as a strong intellectual language nor created harmony among India’s diverse linguistic communities. Instead, the imposition of Hindi has fueled resistance from non-Hindi states while English continues to dominate governance, education, and employment. This editorial argues for ending Hindi’s Rajbhasha status and instead embracing it as Lokbhasha (a people’s language) to strengthen linguistic pluralism in India.

LOK BHASHA, NOT RAJBHASHA

The Burden of an Imposed Status

The attempt to elevate Hindi as a superior language has created linguistic tensions instead of fostering unity. Hindi’s imposed status has alienated both its own dialects and other regional languages.

  • Artificial imposition – Hindi, despite being spoken by over 60 crore people, has not naturally evolved as a unifying language but is instead perceived as being forced upon non-Hindi states.
  • Weak cultural acceptance – Unlike organically grown languages, a state-mandated Hindi lacks deep acceptance beyond its native regions, limiting its role in national integration.
  • Suppression of linguistic diversity – Hindi’s Rajbhasha status has led to the neglect of its own dialects, weakening its rich linguistic ecosystem.
  • Resistance from non-Hindi regions – Non-Hindi-speaking states view Hindi promotion as linguistic hegemony, resulting in political and cultural pushback.
  • No real intellectual dominance – Unlike English, which dominates knowledge creation, Hindi has not developed into a strong intellectual language in higher education, science, or technology.

Hindi’s Declining Role in Education and Intellectual Discourse

Despite being India’s fourth-largest language, Hindi has failed to establish itself as a language of intellectual growth, higher education, and governance.

  • Failure in education – ASER surveys show that a majority of Hindi-speaking rural students in Class 5 struggle to read Class 2 textbooks, highlighting poor language proficiency.
  • Mass shift to English-medium schools – Even in Hindi-speaking states, families prioritize English education for better job prospects, eroding Hindi’s role in formal education.
  • Absence in higher education – Unlike English, Hindi lacks high-quality textbooks in science, technology, and social sciences, forcing students to rely on English.
  • Declining readership of Hindi newspapers – The elite and middle class in Hindi states prefer English newspapers, weakening Hindi’s media and journalism sector.
  • No strong Hindi intellectual ecosystem – Unlike English, which dominates literature, research, and global communication, Hindi fails to produce a competitive academic culture.

English as the True Dominant Language

While Hindi is often accused of being imposed, English remains the undisputed language of power, governance, and prestige in India.

  • English as the ruling class language – India’s governance, judiciary, and corporate sector operate in English, sidelining Hindi even in official domains.
  • Preference for English in elite schools – Parents in Hindi-speaking states actively discourage their children from speaking Hindi, reinforcing English’s superior status.
  • Cultural hegemony of English – English controls mainstream discourse in literature, science, and technology, pushing Hindi to a secondary position.
  • Economic advantage of English – English offers global job opportunities, while Hindi remains limited in professional and technical fields.
  • Social stigma against Hindi – Speaking Hindi in elite spaces is often seen as a sign of inferiority, reinforcing linguistic class divides.

Hindi’s Role in Suppressing Other Indian Languages

While Hindi itself is dominated by English, it has also played a role in subsuming smaller regional languages under its umbrella.

  • Marginalization of Urdu – Urdu, once a widely spoken language, has seen declining state support due to its classification as a variant of Hindi.
  • Absorption of local dialects – Several languages like Bhojpuri, Maithili, and Magahi have been lumped under Hindi, preventing their independent growth.
  • Lack of state recognition – Many regional languages remain excluded from the Eighth Schedule, affecting their institutional development.
  • Forcing Hindi in government schemes – The use of Hindi/Sanskrit-based names for government policies alienates non-Hindi speakers.
  • False claim of Hindi as a national language – Despite having no constitutional backing, some groups incorrectly assert Hindi as India’s national language, fueling regional resentment.

Proposals for a More Inclusive Language Policy

A more decentralized and inclusive linguistic approach is needed to promote all Indian languages rather than imposing one dominant language.

  • Equal official status for all languages – The 22 languages in the Eighth Schedule should be given equal official recognition to ensure linguistic justice.
  • Convert Hindi Diwas into Bhasha Diwas – Instead of celebrating Hindi supremacy, September 14 should honor all Indian languages as part of India’s linguistic heritage.
  • Promoting Hindi through culture, not force – Bollywood, cricket commentary, and entertainment have done more to promote Hindi naturally than any state-imposed policy.
  • Strengthening regional language ecosystems – A national mission should focus on creating high-quality textbooks, scientific literature, and translations in all Indian languages.
  • Mother tongue-based education – The Right to Education Act should be amended to ensure primary education in a child’s mother tongue, whether Scheduled or non-Scheduled languages.

Conclusion

The 75-year experiment with Hindi as Rajbhasha has failed—it has neither empowered Hindi itself nor created national unity. Instead, English continues to dominate India’s elite institutions, while Hindi struggles even in its own heartland. A new approach must respect India’s linguistic diversity, granting equal status to all languages and shifting from language imposition to language empowerment. Hindi must embrace its role as Lokbhasha—the language of the people—rather than seeking to be a forced official language. Only then can India achieve true linguistic democracy.

Mains Practice Question

Critically analyze the challenges posed by the imposition of Hindi as Rajbhasha in India. How can linguistic diversity be preserved while ensuring a common mode of communication? (250 words)