New Delhi: The Supreme Court has dismissed the notion that Hindi belongs exclusively to Hindus and Urdu to Muslims, calling it a “pitiable digression from reality” and emphasizing India’s linguistic diversity.
A bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and K Vinod Chandran made the remarks while rejecting a plea against the use of Urdu on a municipal council signboard in Akola district, Maharashtra. The petitioner had argued that the Maharashtra Local Authorities (Official Languages) Act, 2022, did not permit Urdu on official signage. However, the court ruled that the Act does not prohibit additional languages, especially those included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
The court stressed that language should not be linked to religion, stating, “Language belongs to a community, to a region, to people—and not to a religion. Language is culture. It is the yardstick to measure the civilizational march of a community and its people.” The bench further highlighted Urdu’s historical significance, describing it as a product of India’s Ganga-Jamuni culture, which represents the composite ethos of northern and central India.
The ruling comes amid ongoing debates over linguistic identity in India, with the court urging citizens to embrace linguistic diversity rather than allowing misconceptions to create divisions.
