POPULARIZE HINDUSTANI

[Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav]

Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav

Gandhian Scholar

Gandhi Research Foundation, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India

Contact No. – 09415777229, 094055338

E-mail- [e-mail];[e-mail]

 

 

POPULARIZE HINDUSTANI

 

 

 The All-India Hindi Sahitya Sammelan, the twenty-fifth session of which was held at Nagpur during the week-end, has two main objects before it: to develop Hindi literature and popularize Hindi throughout the country. We shall consider here the latter object mainly. The need for a national language is undeniable. That English cannot possibly be that language is equally undeniable. The popular form of Hindi or of Urdu, generally called Hindustani, has alone the prospect of being a perfect national language if earnest efforts are made to popularize this form in every possible way, particularly by developing Hindustani literature, that is to say, Hindi and Urdu literature without a large admixture of classical words.

CALL IT HINDUSTANI

Unfortunately, however, this national aim is not precisely understood. Many, who possess wrong notions of purity of language or literary elegance, persist in using too many classical expressions, the Hindus from Sanskrit and the Muslims from Persian and Arabic. Sometimes this tendency is deliberately fostered by communalists, whence has arisen the Hindi-Urdu controversy. Babu Rajendra Prasad much deplored this spirit of exclusiveness both because it hindered the growth of national language and because it widened the gulf between the authors and the common readers. He rightly commended the use of a simple language and at the same time urged the absorption of foreign words wherever necessary. He would have brought out his point more clearly if he had definitely suggested that the language which should be specially cultivated should be Hindustani. That is, we believe, the suggestion made by Gandhiji himself at the Nagpur Conference. The most effective way to end once for all the Hindi-Urdu controversy and to develop a national language is not only to propagate a simple or popular form of Hindi and Urdu but also to call that language Hindustani, which in fact is its most appropriate name. In order that much confusion and needless controversy regarding the respective claims of Hindi and Urdu may be avoided, may we suggest to the Congress President to issue definite instructions to all Congress organizations that the only national language to be recognized by them should be Hindustani and that Congressmen should not carry on propaganda in favour of either Urdu or Hindi being the national language?

USE BOTH SCRIPTS

The question of a common script for the national language has come very much to the fore during the last two years or so. Many suggest that the Nagari script should be the national one, with some improvements made therein, as it is the basis of the scripts of all the vernaculars derived from Sanskrit and, therefore, intelligible to a large majority of the people. A few have suggested the use of the Roman script, and the rumour was abroad some time ago that President Jawaharlal had supported it. He has now made it clear that, though he sees some advantage in it, he does not see any chance of its being adopted by any considerable community in the country. Even as regard the Nagari script there is not at present that consensus of opinion in its favour which can justify its exclusive adoption in writing Hindustani. Apart from this the claims of the Arabic script, which is being used in many Asiatic and African and even European countries as well as in India cannot lightly be ignored. In the circumstances the best immediate approach to the problem is for every Indian to learn both the Nagari and the Arabic scripts. That was Gandhiji's suggestion during the N. C. O. Movement and many national schools and colleges loyally followed it. We believe he has not changed his mind on this point.