Is Hindi really a national language? I found many people in India think that Hindi is our national language. Even some school books contain that Hindi is our national language.

But it is not the truth. The truth is, there is no national language of India. Hindi in Devanagari script and English are official languages of India.

According to our constitution which came into force on 26th January 1950, Article 343 Official language of the Union

(1) The official language of the Union shall be Hindi in Devanagari script.

The form of numerals to be used for the official purposes of the Union shall be the international form of Indian numerals.

(2) Notwithstanding anything in clause (1) for a period of fifteen years from the commencement of this Constitution, the English language shall continue to be used for all the official purposes of the Union for which it was being used immediately before such commencement:
Provided that the President may, during the said period, by order authorize the use of the Hindi language in addition to the English language and of the Devanagari form of numerals in addition to the international form of Indian numerals for any of the official purposes of the Union.

(3) Notwithstanding anything in this article, Parliament may by law provide for the use, after the said period of fifteen years, of -
(a) the English language, or (b) the Devanagari form of numerals, for such purposes as may be specified in the law.

It means that India only have the official language does not have any national language. I have been under the impression that Hindi is the national language of India. Just a few days back I realized that India does not have a national language. I felt ashamed. How come I did not know this? But, I am not alone in this. My friends and colleagues are also under the impression that Hindi is the national language of India. Also, I can safely conclude that more than half of India’s population is under the same impression. But now it surprises me to hear that India never had a national language. This explains why India attached importance to each of its constituent languages. I do not know who first put this thought in my mind. There is one very interesting fact about the languages of India. Though India may boast of being home to many major languages of the world, this abode of languages, ironically, does not have a national language of its own.

According to the Constitution of India, any language, accepted by a State of India as its official language will be given the status of national language. In India, no language is accepted or spoken by the States unanimously. Even Hindi, the language spoken by most people, is unable to attain the status of national language as it does not fulfill the condition laid down by the Constitution of India. Though Hindi is spoken by a large number of people, but only ten States of India have accepted it as their official language.
Now the question is that what is the difference between national and official language? The national language defines the people of the nation, culture and history. The official language is used for official communication, then why the provision of national language not made into the constitution.

Does India not have any culture, history or we are not civilized, so that we have not made the provision of the national language. We Indians are always proud at our culture and boast that Sanskrit Language is the origin of most of the languages of the world, those Great Indians has not the national language. Shame!

If Hindi has to make or can be an official language of the country than why it can not be the national language? Approx 10 states of the country use Hindi as official language & approx 50% people of the nation are using the Hindi. Hindi is the symbol of our culture it indicates Hindu-Muslim culture.

Although, Hindi is the official language, but the position of Hindi is very poor. It is general trend that Hindi users are considered backward and lack social status. Yes, Hindi is our official language but most of the government organizations and department use English instead of Hindi. Main thing - in the parliament of the country our members use the English they feel ashamed speaking in Hindi. Yes, English is also the additional official language. It is the authoritative legislative and judicial language. In fact, one could say that English is the official language of India for all practical purposes. For many educated Indians, English is virtually their first language though a large number of Indians are multi-lingual.

Yes, according to constitution Hindi is our first official language but our Prime Minister, Finance Minister other cabinet ministers and political leaders feel shame to use Hindi, they use Hindi and other regional languages only at the times of election. One more question arises here, that why English make the additional official language, so many languages are here such as Tamil, Bangla, Marathi, Punjabi and others and the people feel very comfortable in their own language. And Tamil is the oldest language of India. It is very near to Sanskrit and symbol of our golden past, than why Tamil can not be the additional official language, Why English? I don’t know? It is not the Indian language, not shown our culture, not in our tradition; it is the symbol of black chapter of Indian history and depending time.

If anybody wants justice from the Supreme court and High Court in their own language, then he can’t take because court language is English, think that if you don’t know the English, and it is truth that 85 % people does not know the English than you can not understand the procedure of court, what is Judge saying, what is advocate saying, you will see only the faces of those. If I am a good lawyer and having the good knowledge of Law but I don’t know English than I can’t practice in Honorable Supreme Court.

It is not the mistake of courts, but it is also provided by the constitution in Article 348 Language to be used in the Supreme Court and in the High Courts and for Acts, Bills, etc.

(1) Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing provisions of this Part, until Parliament by law otherwise provides -

(a) all proceedings in the Supreme Court and in every High Court,

(b) the authoritative texts -

(i) of all Bills to be introduced or amendments thereto to be moved in either House of Parliament or in the House or either House of the Legislature of a State.

(ii) of all Acts passed by Parliament or the Legislature of a State and of all Ordinances promulgated by the President or the Governor of a State, and
(iii) of all orders, rules, regulations and bye-laws issued under this Constitution or under any law made by Parliament or the Legislature of a State, shall be in the English language.

(2) Notwithstanding anything in sub-clause (a) of clause (1), the Governor of a State may, with the previous consent of the President, authorize the use of the Hindi language, or any other language used for any official purposes of the State, in proceedings in the High Court having its principal seat in that State:
Provided that nothing in this clause shall apply to any judgment, decree or order passed or made by such High Court.

(3) Notwithstanding anything in sub-clause (b) of clause (1) where the Legislature of a State has prescribed any language other than the English language for use in Bills introduced in, or Acts passed by, the Legislature of the State or in Ordinances promulgated by the Governor of the State or in any order, rule, regulation or bye-law referred to in paragraph (iii) of that sub-clause, a translation of the same in the English language published under the authority of the Governor of the State in the Official Gazette of that State shall be deemed to be the authoritative text thereof in the English language under this article.

Is it not shameful for us, why we can’t take justice from our courts in our own language? Those people who don’t know English has no right to take proper justice from the court. It is the play with 85% population of India, they can’t take justice they can’t understand the official working they can’t understand the law of the nation and if they can’t understand the law than nobody has the right to punish him for any unlawful act.

If Hindi can make so called official language than why it can not be made the language of Courts, Bills, and Acts etc.

At last, after the 60 years of the independence we are not independent we are dependent on the English, after the 60 years of the independence we Indians are not having our own national Language, after the 60 years of the independence we don’t have our separate entity. Is it not shameful for us?