What is the National Language of India ?

I had a very interesting discussion with one of my friends today who is from south. He started his point by saying that every Indian is racist which I strongly opposed. To prove his point he said the following. This is how our discussion went:

Friend: "Why is it that every north indian expects us south-indians to know and speak Hindi"

Pat: "Every Indian, irrespective of whether he is from south or north, should know it.

Friend: "But why?"

Pat: "Because Hindi is our National language"

Friend: "My dear friend, you are clearly mistaken. Hindi is NOT the national language of India."

Pat: "Thats not possible. I am very sure its our national language"

Friend: "When you reach home today, go and check what our constituion says"

Pat: " Then which, according to you, is our national language"

Friend: "India does not have a national language"

Pat: "wtf ?

"

To cut the story short, I came home and did some googling. And he was right. FOR THE PAST 23 years, I have been under the impression that Hindi is the national language of India. And its only today that I realised that India does not have a national language. I felt ashamed

How come I did not know this?

So what do you guys think about this ? Did you know that Hindi is not our national language ? I am 95% sure that most of my friends are also under the impression that Hindi is our Rashtra Bhasha.

What do the people on this forum think ? Or am I the only odd man out ?

I hate enforcement of Hindi as national language.
@Pat: you'd like to see old fight club thread reg the same.
*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35377
South Indians ,simply cant digest Hindi as national language.Better ENGLISH ,the UNIVERSAL Language.

seems another flamewar gonna start?

Yes there is no national language in India .. Hindi is one of the official language of india. Many dont know abt this, its not your fault. There has been discussion here in this forum about the same topic before.
One thing I want to tell is that .. Just because majority of the population speak the language doesnt make it a national language.. India in very diverse and one language cannot be made as the National Language.

C

Yea its not. Even I thought it was till last year. First day hindi class, was asked to say something abt Hindi and I said its our Rashtra Bhasha and everyone shouted, no its not and ended with sir saying some things..

ya all guys from north thinks hindi is the national language..........India hav 18 languages stated in the constitution, if I'm correct from wat I recall from my primary education books.

all northern people on our streets think v should speak hindi. They refuse to speak English even if they know it

angermanagement said:
I hate enforcement of Hindi as national language.
@Pat: you'd like to see old fight club thread reg the same.
*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35377
South Indians ,simply cant digest Hindi as national language.Better ENGLISH ,the UNIVERSAL Language.

seems another flamewar gonna start?

Lol! No flame war yaar. I just cant believe I dint know this. However, that friend of mine says why should anyone expect us to speak in anything other than what we know. So according to him, neither Hindi nor English.

^100% agreed. the problem with hindi speaking north indian people are ,they tend to believe that whole of India speaks Hindi .I can vouch that nobody even cares for hindi ,if you ever try in Kerala.rather ,you will learn Malayalam.time to change stubborn attitudes

.

also ,why still many hindi speaking people expect that others also should do the same?definitely not worth the point.all people have the freedom to choose their language.south indians ,bengalis/NE and many others by choice ,select their mother tongue and ENGLISH as the languages they should use.English being universal language ,simply fit the bill.

Enforcement of Hindi is One pathetic move I have seen.

.we have a problem accepting Hindi as national language.

.may be try making Malayalam or tamil as national language and let you feedback your "problems" here. I hope the brains is there to think from southindian/non-hindi speaker perspective

Charan said:
Yes there is no national language in India .. Hindi is one of the official language of india. Many dont know abt this, its not your fault. There has been discussion here in this forum about the same topic before.
One thing I want to tell is that .. Just because majority of the population speak the language doesnt make it a national language.. India in very diverse and one language cannot be made as the National Language.

But there has to be one common language that all Indians speak ? Otherwise all states are as good or as bad as different countries. Either Hindi or English should be accepted by everyone.

^English as linking Language for between Indians and also to other parts of the world.as simple as it is

Pat said:
But there has to be one common language that all Indians speak ? Otherwise all states are as good or as bad as different countries. Either Hindi or English should be accepted by everyone.

Check the links in reference section right at the bottom of Wiki . you will get links to all the correct goverment sources and language acts.

Charan said:
Check the links in reference section right at the bottom of Wiki . you will get links to all the correct goverment sources and language acts.

Which ones ? There are too many

who told you north indian enforce hindi.
Probably u should be aware that they have their vernacular lingo too just like everyone else.

Pat said:
Which ones ? There are too many

I gave you the correct source . its up to you to decide if you want to understand our constitution or just read the comments posted in the forum

..

come and stay with us in kerala for just one day, and I will show you who enforces hindi on us.........our state is well known as "God's own country" and tourists from many countries come here, but they try to learn small small words in our language and don't blame anyone even if nobody knows English......but northern people just curse everyone in hindi if v don't understand ur language.....

P

Some people get confused about the difference between an official language and a national language. Hindi is certainly the most widely spoken native language in India and one of the official languages. English is the most widely spoken imported language. It is also the most widely understood language in the world.

Personally, I know only a few words in Hindi, but I don't mind trying to use what little I know when I travel and have to deal with people who don't speak English. However, it is when some people try to force Hindi down our throats that it stirs up resentment.

When I visited Mumbai a few months ago, I went to the Parel police headquarters looking for someone. Every single signboard there was written in Hindi or Marathi (I couldn't tell the difference). That really pissed me off.

What if a foreigner came looking for help ? Of course, it would be impossible to have signboards written in every major language in the world, but including an English version would make a big difference to most foreigners, and more importantly, to the millions and millions of Indians who don't speak Hindi.

Guys, Guys! Relax! Please dont turn this into a flame-war! This thread wasnt intended to be one!

^you hit the point @ Jinsu! disgusting behaviour from these ppl many times.
they simply shout and uses gaali and all

it is because of us ,south indians calm and peace loving attitude that they are taken lightly(see bangalore for now!)>

PS : my point is not against entire hindi speakers.but most of them!.

@pimpom : India wants to be china!English and other local languages die! :?:

do you know ,that other languages except Taamil may be ,are not all growing ?

reason?

I am ready to speak in Hindi ,if I were in any north indian states.but down south these ppl came and ask us to speak in hindi.....it is DISGUSTING MAN!

Charan said:
I gave you the correct source . its up to you to decide if you want to understand our constitution or just read the comments posted in the forum ..

Dude, I was genuinely asking which links you were talking about! There are about 20-40 links in the reference section on that page.

Also, P.S: I am not saying Hindi is our national language!

^^you are generalizing it.

should i tell u same things happening in North.

Pat said:
Dude, I was genuinely asking which links you were talking about! There are about 20-40 links in the reference section on that page.

Also, P.S: I am not saying Hindi is our national language!

101 to be precice

link1
link2

the tone the law is wrote seems like all indians are hindians

3. Continuation of english Language for official purposes of the Union and for use in Parliament-

(1) Nothwithstanding the expiration of the period of fifteen years from the commencement of the Constitution, the English language may, as from the appointed day, continue to be used in addition to Hindi,

Charan said:
101 to be precice
link1
link2

So I can confirm that India does not have a national langague. However I find this part of constitution interesting

351. Directive for development of the Hindi language.

It shall be the duty of the Union to promote the spread of the Hindi language, to develop it so that it may serve as a medium of expression for all the elements of the composite culture of India and to secure its enrichment by assimilating without interfering with its genius, the forms, style and expressions used in Hindustani and in the other languages of India specified in the Eighth Schedule, and by drawing, wherever necessary or desirable, for its vocabulary, primarily on Sanskrit and secondarily on other languages.

^^blame the politicians then

, why the people

angermanagement said:
the tone the law is wrote seems like all indians are hindians

That law is only for union or administration for all government related jobs/tasks! So take it easy buddy

I'm not against North Indians.....I hav many north indian frnds who r understandable and not bossy

even I am not!

I dont even differentiate until they does that!.

so u are against the attitude snobs

that sounds reasonable, cuz human is homo sapiens after all

Oh my. We have this same debate in Goa as to which is the official language (Marathi or Konkani). Speak what you speak and be done with it I say!

I am a center Indian (Mumbai) and I ve never seen anyone enforcing any language. Dunno why you guys are always at loggerheads - North vs South and such sh!t. This is one India.

Pathik said:
I am a center Indian

Lol!

Pathik said:
I am a center Indian (Mumbai) and I ve never seen anyone enforcing any language. Dunno why you guys are always at loggerheads - North vs South and such sh!t. This is one India.

@Pathik : go to Banglore or any other parts of south and see!.central gov tries to enforce Hindi. many south Indian states are saved due to the Anti-Hindi movement back in 1960's by Anna dura etc in Taamil naadu.

I can give you ppl a taste. think about India with Malayalam dominant speaking Language .now Bombay as native Hindi(marathi) speaking area. Now few of us , Malayalis come there and insist on talking dealing everything in Malayalam.now our Malayali dominant central government enforcing all schools central gov institutes to have Malayalam boards,Malayalam enforcement through their applications and other document options.

^feels like angry na?

same problem here! in South!.

We appreciate English as a universal language ,not as a British Ghost.

Infact ,I believe British and English Education certainly helped states like old Travancore to be more economically and educationally upright.

why don't u people bubblewrap

*fun.from.hell.pl/2003-11-24/bubblewrap.swf

^that doesnt solve the problem

T159 said:
why don't u people bubblewrap
*fun.from.hell.pl/2003-11-24/bubblewrap.swf

lol....dats a nice game

[size=+5]ENGLISH[/size]

Because it is the language in which the constitution, which guarantees our freedom of speech and expression, was written by our founding fathers. They were very wise people.

@Pat..
bandhu aaj se hum dono Hindi main vartalap karenege.. main tumhare saath hoon bhai

I do not understand y the hell we among ourselfes behave racially? we have enuf trouble outside india ppl! we can't start fighting among ourselfs again!

though Hindi is documented as ur national language we have to keep in mind that india is the most diverse nation in the whole world with more than 200 languages spoken in diff parts of india. one should not expect everyone to know hindi!

^understanding this point you said solves the whole problems at a shot!

.
...and be it a colonial LANG or not ,English is ,what allows the world to communicate!

napster007 said:
though Hindi is documented as ur national language

That is what the thread is about. Hindi is NOT our national language!

Wasn't this in fight club, where some people got horribly pwned coz it was post after post proved that Hindi is considered and should be made.

pimpom said:
Some people get confused about the difference between an official language and a national language. Hindi is certainly the most widely spoken native language in India and one of the official languages. English is the most widely spoken imported language. It is also the most widely understood language in the world.

Personally, I know only a few words in Hindi, but I don't mind trying to use what little I know when I travel and have to deal with people who don't speak English. However, it is when some people try to force Hindi down our throats that it stirs up resentment.

When I visited Mumbai a few months ago, I went to the Parel police headquarters looking for someone. Every single signboard there was written in Hindi or Marathi (I couldn't tell the difference). That really pissed me off.

What if a foreigner came looking for help ? Of course, it would be impossible to have signboards written in every major language in the world, but including an English version would make a big difference to most foreigners, and more importantly, to the millions and millions of Indians who don't speak Hindi.

still every indian( every hindian every tamilian every telugu etc.etc.etc. etc.) are taught hindi for 1-2-3 years in school... i think so as i was with south indians for almost 6-7 months,,, so maximum literate south indian persons can read hindi if they cannot speek...
but tamil telugu language words appears as jalebi to me

plz take this lightly..
and i also learnt many words in tamil and telugu...

the thing i want to say is that many south indians know hindi but then also they show like they don't//////////////

Its Hindi no doubt. What a stupid thread. Its written in our constitution.

India has no national language......Speak whatever you like.

India has 22 official languages......

K

j1n M@tt said:
I'm not against North Indians.....I hav many north indian frnds who r understandable and not bossy

who the <censored> r u 2 call N. Indians bossy?
this dpends on the nature of person. not on wether he/she is northie or southie.

any human can be bossy or bad.even if he is N. indian or S. indian.

u seem 2 say that majority of N.I. are bossy & not understanndable. what the <censored>

i m strictly against this North - south debate..

dreamcatcher said:
Its Hindi no doubt. What a stupid thread. Its written in our constitution.

Oh really? Please show me which article in our constitution says so ?

K

NO.

hindi is nt official language.

to protet the cultral diversity of india,many languags have been called official.

and so tht there is no problm for any1, english is also an official lang. as it is nt from india, nobody has a problem with it

kewlbox102 said:
NO.

hindi is nt official language.

to protet the cultral diversity of india,many languags have been called official.

and so tht there is no problm for any1, english is also an official lang. as it is nt from india, nobody has a problem with it

I know.I was asking it to dreamcatcher who thinks this is a stupid thread and comes up with a stupid statement himself

Article 343 of the Indian Constitution recognises Hindi in Devanāgarī script as the official language of central government India. The Constitution also allows for the continuation of use of the English language for official purposes

Sorry, messed it up.

The Constitution of India envisages Hindi as the primary official language to be used by the Union Government, with English as the subsidiary official language. However, there are many languages that are accorded official language status at the state level. It envisages a situation where each state has its own official language(s), in addition to the official languages to be used by the Union government.

I think this is what is causing confusion. The UNION Gov recofnises Hindi as the primary official language. Since Union Gov gives it that status its considered to be the national language of India.
The state governments are free to make other languages as its official lanaguage.

There is no such thing as a national language in India. Its just that two languages, Hindi and English, have been chosen for official work.

And this north vs south debate is riddiculous. Its just a vague reminder of the historic India, where the black southies were mostly native Indians, while the white northies were migrants from Europe calling themselves aryans, or the "superior" ones. Due to a cultural clash, there were a lot of North vs South like issues back in times around 1000 BC, but now, Indians have so evenly mixed up that there is little or no distinction between north and south Indians.

Finally, I think this language thing has something to do with the common superiority complex each person feels with his mother tongue, since each has a language thats old and with its own set of praises. Since I am born in an area with a hybrid language, Palakad Tamil, I feel no such complex and I simply chose the language that appeared simplest and most widely usable. I settled on English, though I did use hindi for a good number of my early years.

Now this is South vs North. After Various combinations of Windows/Linux/Mac.

our nation India... doesn't has a national language..
never to forget our lingual diversity...

wat my dadi ma says, "har 4 kos* mein bhasha badle, har 8 kos main paani..."

we believe in unity in diversity

its not south v/s north... ..

n for complete list ... check this link....*india.gov.in/knowindia/national_symbols.php

dont forget we all r typing in English (UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE)...

*kos is an old unit for distance... i think 1 kos = 3 km...xact i dont knw..n rite nwmy dadi ma is sleeping

ENGLISH IS THE COMMUNICATION LANGUAGE
^heck ,without which we ,even cant communicate here.still arguing for hindi is bossy and we wont tolerate it.

@sam: I know hindi.but forcing hindi to someone who is comfortable with English is plain BS.

the problem is not with south Indians.it is crystal clear.they accomodate all types of people.those who stay upwards of vindhyas have little idea how it is here

somebody said we are learning hindi in schools?may I ask you? why the fcuk should this happen?Isnt this what is called enforcing?

? do you think violence is not known to south? the tolerance factor here is very high.

even coolie's in rural areas in south india(except andhra ,I think) understands English almost and manage to communicate too ,unlike northern brethren who insist on their hindi.

we dont feel proud of Hindi as our language ,because our language is dravidian and we are all for our mother tongue.enforcement of Hindi and posts that supports Hindi enforcement(as in national language ,unthinkable

) makes the problem.these n00b north indians should be send to Kambam town in Tamil Nadu for a taste.I am sure ,they will forget hindi in a matter of hours and will understand the need of English

W

@anger_management,
maybe the n00bs that u met didnt know english?

angermanagement said:
^understanding this point you said solves the whole problems at a shot! .

Atleast i try to make ppl understand that there is no need to fight over language!! what good deed have u done recently??

...and be it a colonial LANG or not ,English is ,what allows the world to communicate!

Go and try telling that to over a million indians who have'nt evem heard of a language called english!

@sam9s: what make you think that English is not needed to be our national language?isnt it emotions against british?

India is NOT North india, but South ,east and west India too. when we can communicate with everywhere the world and to other south indians in ENGLISH ,what is the need for us to learn a alien language like hindi to speak to you ppl?eh?

I just quote :

Anti-Hindi Imposition agitation is a term used to describe the opposition of people of Tamil Nadu who voiced against the Indian Government's attempts to impose Hindi as the sole Official language of India during 1960s. [1] The same feeling even continues now. Even though officially, the Indian government has both Hindi and English as official language for communication with the states. The states can choose their official language (as spoken by majority) along with English. Today, many confuse the original 'Anti-Hindi' imposition for official purposes to anti-Hindi language use.[2]
Annadurai's Speech in Indian Parliament

In an address in 1962, former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C N Annadurai made the following statements opposing Hindi imposition: "It is claimed that Hindi should be common language because it is spoken by the majority. Why should we then claim the tiger as our national animal instead of the rat which is so much more numerous? Or the peacock as our national bird when the crow is ubiquitous?"
Annadurai also said,
"Since every school in India teaches English, why can't it be our link language? Why do Tamils have to study English for communication with the world and Hindi for communications within India? Do we need a big door for the big dog and a small door for the small dog? I say, let the small dog use the big door too!" [3]

Most people in Tamilnadu feel that if Hindi enters their land, their classical language and ancient culture/tradition would be no more, citing cities like Mumbai, Kolkata and Hyderabad where the native language is rendered nearly auxiliary: in any of these cities it is entirely possible to live without knowing the native language, with Hindi serving as lingua franca; in so much that both political and non-political organizations alike have expressed concerns over the future of their native language/culture [4][5][6][7]

read here :
*en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Hindi_agitations
Hindi as much as foreign language to South Indians as is the English is!.first learn this!

Njaan Ippol ee parayunnatu ninakku manasilakunundoda cherukka?{MALAYALAM}
^Now ,tell me the similarity between Hindi and Malayalam?

got it?

Isnt us in a democratic country?why you northies always think that whole india speaks hindi? when we are not interested ,you CANNOT force the damn thing on us

English is welcome in South India as Historically South Indians are more into English due to British.also ,unlike north indians ,South India prospered ,atleast many parts of madras ,Travancore ,Mysore etc under British Rule.
British does more of a benefit here.we are not under them ,but we are ruled by our own kings ,who have treaties with british.

So ,this blind English hating and being a hypocrat of posting and learning in English must be answered.

but we dont.English is only needed.Hindi should not be enforced.I have learned that even if I try to say this here ,north indians 90% of them ,dont understand the reality.come ,down south understand the scenario here.really ppl there north! we dont even know ,most of us what hindi is! sometimes hindi is a term used for denoting a north indian.but not a language! :lol:

dont fight.believe it.democracy means ,majority hindi cannot be forced to the neck of south Indians.infact ,south india itself is big,speakers of whole south indian languages also will be very huge.

no new thougts are being shared. no new opinions are being expressed. the same things from the other thread are being said here [probably copy-pasting it from there anyway]

you guys are like Neo Sports - showing the same old matches over and over and over again

Suggestion to the mods [jk] : make that Raj Tahckeray thread sticky. so the next time anybody wants to indulge in a little North Vs south slugfest, they will see that the things they want to say have alredy been said by them in that thread

REPORTIN

This is going on and on like a war. Hope at least this battle would end without loosers.

Anyway, Pat that was a revelation that India has no National Language. Me too thought that Hindi is the National Language these days. Thank you. I really appreciate you taking the pain on checking out the constitution. Not even those who should for their language (or against Hindi as national language) cared to do that. That includes me.

@others: Please stop this nuisance and flaming. Pat just mentioned that there is no such thing as National Language for India. It is just some thing we had taken for as true and did not verify.

Battle decides who's left and not who's looser (ahem ahem loser

)

argh.... you guys wont stop.... and this aint fight club.