Question

Describe the views of Gandhiji on the national language of India.

Hint:

Remember: Gandhiji favored Hindustani over Hindi or English because it was inclusive, familiar to many, and bridged religious and cultural communities.

Answer 1

Mahatma Gandhi's Views on the National Language

Mahatma Gandhi believed strongly in the importance of having a common national language that could unite India’s diverse population. His views emphasized practicality, inclusivity, and cultural heritage:

• Support for Hindustani: Gandhiji advocated for Hindustani as the national language, which he described as a blend of Hindi and Urdu. He believed this hybrid form was widely understood by both Hindus and Muslims, especially in northern India, and would serve as a unifying medium.
• Rejection of Imposed Hindi or English: While he supported the promotion of Hindi, Gandhiji was opposed to imposing Sanskritised Hindi or exclusively Hindi over other regional languages. He was also critical of English being the national language, as it was not accessible to the common people and carried colonial baggage.
• Promotion of Multilingualism: Gandhiji encouraged the learning of multiple languages. He believed every Indian should learn their mother tongue, Hindi or Hindustani as a link language, and also an international language like English for global communication.
• Educational Use: He supported the idea that education should be imparted in the mother tongue or regional languages, including Hindustani as a national language, to enhance understanding and cultural connection.
• National Integration: For Gandhi, language was a tool for national integration, and Hindustani served that role because it was simple, inclusive, and widely spoken across religious and regional lines.

Thus, Gandhiji’s vision was not of linguistic uniformity, but of unity through a language that was rooted in Indian soil, simple to use, and capable of promoting communal harmony.