Part – I Chapter-3 The Language Issue & Reorganization of the Nation "Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the test of our civilization." – Mahatama Gandhi. Introduction The language problem was one of the most divisive issues in the first two decades of Independent India. It created the apprehension among people that the political and cultural unity of the country was in danger. When the Indian Constitution was being framed in the Constituent Assembly, the question of choosing one language as the official language arose in the minds of the Constitution makers. The official language of the Central government was the single most divisive official issue in the Indian Constituent Assembly. (1) Most of the Constituent Assembly members wanted to fulfill Mahatma Gandhi's dream who had opined that there should be a national language that would give a distinct identity to the nation. They chose Hindi ,the most popular language of the country to be crowned as the official language of the Union of India. As soon as the proposal was laid down before the assembly,(2) many assembly members opposed it because it was unfair for the non-Hindi-speaking population. Numerous arguments were raised for the inclusion and non-inclusion of the Hindi language. Some of the members of the Constituent Assembly, including L.K.Maitra and N.G.Ayyangar demanded that regional languages should be recognized (3) (at the State level), and the chosen national language should not be exclusive. Others like Lokamanya Tilak, Gandhiji, C. Rajagopalachari, Subhash Bose, and Sardar Patel (4) demanded that Hindi be used throughout India without exceptions; the states should also resort to the use of the Hindi language because it would promote integration. The Issue The language problem was also a significant hurdle to national consolidation , linguistic diversity created the dispute over the official language of the Union, and the other issue was the reorganization of the States based on language. • The controversy on the language issue became the most controversial when it took the form of opposition to Hindi and tended to create a conflict between Hindi-speaking and nonspeaking regions of the country. A national language was resolved when the Constitution makers virtually accepted all the major languages as languages of India. • As all the official work could not be carried on with so many languages; thus, English and Hindi were chosen for official work. • Being a foreign language, Gandhi opposed the idea of English to be made an All India Medium of communications in free India. Finally, a compromise was arrived, and Hindi in the Devanagri Script with international numerals was to be India's official language. • English was to continue for use for all official purposes till 1965 when Hindi would replace it; Hindi was to be introduced in a phased manner; after 1965, it would become the sole official language. • The constitution led upon the government the duty to promote the spread and development of Hindi and provided for the appointment of a Commission and a JPC (Joint Parliamentary Committee) to review the progress in this respect. The Linguistic Reorganization of States The reorganization of the States was based on language, and on the aspect of national consolidation. Integration came to be an essential question almost immediately after independence. • The reason for linguistic states as administrative units was very strong, as language is closely related to culture and, therefore, to the people's customs. • Democracy can become fundamental to ordinary people only when politics and administration are conducted through the language they can understand and comprehend. • In 1948, the government formed the linguistic province's Commission headed by Justice S.K. Dhar to enquire into the desirability of linguistic provinces. The Commission recommended that "the formation of provinces on exclusively or even mainly linguistic considerations is not in the larger interests of the Indian nation. It recommended reorganizing the provinces of Madras, Bombay, primarily based on geographical contiguity, financial self-sufficiency, and ease of administration. • The Commission preferred reorganization of States based on administrative convenience, including historical and geographical considerations instead of linguistic lines. • Later, the constituent assembly decided not to incorporate the linguistic principle in the constitution, but public opinion differed, especially in the South, and the problem remained politically alive. • Later, due to the nonsatisfaction of public opinion, the JVP committee was constituted in 1948 consisting of, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel. Pattabhi Sitaramayya to examine the question of language afresh. • The committee advised against the creation of linguistic states, for the time being, emphasizing unity, national security, and economic development as the need of the hour. The Andhra Pradesh Movement To protect the interests of the Telugu people of the Madras State, Potti Sreeramulu, a freedom fighter and a Gandhian who is revered as Amarajeevi ("Immortal Being") in the Andhra region for his self-sacrifice for the Andhra cause, Potti Sreeramulu contributed his life for the formation of a separate Telugu-speaking state from the dominant Tamil-speaking State of Madras Presidency (now Tamil Nadu). His struggles led to forming an independent Telugu-speaking state called "Andhra Pradesh." Dissatisfied with the JVP committee report in October 1952, he undertook a fast unto death over the demand for a separate Andhra. However, he died after 58 days, leading to violence and riots in the State. Ultimately the union government conceded the demand for a separate state of Andhra, which finally came into existence in October 1953; simultaneously, Tamil Nadu was also created as a Tamil-speaking State. He attempted to force the Madras State government to listen to public demands for the separation of Telugu-speaking districts (Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra) from Madras State to form Andhra State. Fig: 1.3.1: Potti Sreeramulu The Justice Fazal Ali Commission • Nehru later in 1953 appointed the States Reorganization Commission with Justice Fazal Ali, K.N. Panikkar, H.N. Kunzru as members to examine objectively and discussed the fundamental question of the reorganization of the States and the Union. • The Commission had submitted its report in October 1955 while laying down that due consideration should be given to administrative and economic factors. It recognized the linguistic principle and recommended redrawing of the State boundaries on that basis. • It also made a significant suggestion for reorganizing the whole country into 16 States and three centrally administrated areas. • However, the government did not agree entirely and divided the country into 14 States and 6 Union Territories, bypassing the States Reorganization Act, 1956. The State of Maharashtra and Gujarat were also later bifurcated, with Bombay City being included in Maharastra and Ahmedabad being made the capital of Gujarat. The Shah Commission Later, in 1966, the Commission Report of the Punjab Reorganization Act was passed in the Parliament. The State of Haryana was formed; however, Chandigarh was made a Union Territory and common capital of Punjab and Haryana. The events since 1956 have clearly shown that loyalty to a language was relatively consistent in nature By reorganizing the States on the linguistic lines, the National leadership removed a significant grievance that could have led to fissiparous States reorganization and is best regarded as a clearing ground for National integration. As per political scientist, Rajni Kothari the reorganization resulted in rationalizing the political map of India without seriously weakening its unity. Fig 1.3.2: The JVP committee members (Jawahar Lal Nehru, Sardar Patel, and Pattabhi Sitaramayya) after one of the committee meetings Image Credits: The Quint Conclusive aspects of Linguistic Reorganization of States The whole exercise led to the nurturing and promotion of regional languages and a culture strengthening in the country overall; it also led to better interaction among people of the States with their democratically elected governments without getting into the hassles of translations. It led to the consolidation of the federal structure; people realized that it was easy and peaceful to have their own space and identity. It led to the growth of English as a medium of Inter States and State-centric communications which would have been difficult had the states not been more or less linguistically homogeneous. There was better penetration of democratic power at the grassroots level and in local governments with significant consolidation of democracy; a linguistically heterogeneous state otherwise could have faced the difficulty getting together the democratic units. The linguistic reorganization of states played an essential part in regionally unifying the country and fulfilling the people's aspirations. References 1. 2. 3. 4. Language issues in post Independence of India https://journalsofindia.com/language-issues-inpost-independence-of-india/ Language issues in post Independence of India https://journalsofindia.com/language-issues-inpost-independence-of-india/ Language issues in post Independence of India https://journalsofindia.com/language-issues-in-post-independence-of-india/ Language issues in post Independence of India https://journalsofindia.com/language-issues-inpost-independence-of-india/
