Plea in Delhi HC seeks to declare Hindi as national language

Says Hindi is only language which can serve as common means of communication for all citizens

A petition has been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking a direction to the Centre to take appropriate steps to declare Hindi as the national language of India.

The plea, which is likely to come up for hearing next week, also sought a direction to the government to make Hindi a compulsory subject for all the children aged six to 14 years throughout the country.

It claimed that "Hindi is the language spoken by majority of Indians and it has the potential of being used as an economic, religious and political communication link among all the citizens".

It claimed that the Constitution makers had deliberated on the issue of official language in detail at the time of framing the Constitution and it was decided that Hindi in Devanagari script should be adopted as official language of the Union.

"Under Article 351 (of the Constitution), Union Government is duty bound to promote and propagate Hindi language 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," the plea, filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, said.

It claimed that framers of the Constitution had envisaged that Hindi, with the help of other Indian languages, would evolve as a composite language, capable of being accepted by people living in non-Hindi speaking regions.

The plea said Hindi was the only language which can be common means of communication for all the citizens throughout the country.

"It is duty of the executive to declare Hindi as the national language of India without further delay. It is not only necessary to secure equality of status and of opportunity, but it is essential to promote fraternity, ensuring dignity of individual and unity and integrity of the nation," it said.