How did the Constituent Assembly seek to resolve the language controversy?

India is a vast country having different regions where different languages are spoken. So it was quite natural that the Constituent Assembly discussed the intricate issue of language for the newly-independent country. The discussion about the language problem generated intense arguments.

Hindustani : A choice of Congress and Gandhi. Before the independence of the country, the Congress had made up its mind to adopt Hindustani as the national language of the country. Mahatma Gandhi had also approved this decision. He was convinced that everyone should speak in a language which is understood by most of the common people. Hindustani was not a new language. It was a blend of Hindi and Urdu. It was a popular language as it was spoken by most of the people of the country. It was a composite language because it was enriched by the interaction of diverse cultures. That is why, Mahatma Gandhi preferred it to be the national language of India.

Arguments in Support of Hindi : The case for Hindi was mostly pleaded by R.V. Dhulekar, a Congressman from the United Province. He wanted that Hindi should be used as the language of constitution-making. When he was told that all the members of the Constituent Assembly did not know Hindi, he felt infuriated and stated that those who did not know Hindustani were not worthy to be the members of the Constituent Assembly. He told such members to quit the Assembly. There was a commotion in the Assembly over his remarks. However the peace and order were restored due to the intervention of Jawaharlal Nehru.

Report of the Language Committee : The Language Committee of the Constituent Assembly suggested a compromise formula in its report. In order to resolve the deadlock over the issue of language, it advocated that Hindi in Devanagri script should be the official language of the country. It also suggested that transition from English to Hindi would be gradual. It stated that during the first fifteen years since the enforcement of the new constitution, English would continue to be used for all official purposes. In other words, the Language Committee referred to Hindi as the official language and not the national language of India.

Apprehensions of Members from the South. The members in the Constituent Assembly who hailed from the southern states considered Hindi as a threat to their provincial languages. Many suspicions were expressed by Mrs. G. Durgabai of Madras and Sh. Shankar Rao from Bombay. T.A. Ramalingam Chettiar from Madras suggested that the issue of language should be handled with tact and caution. Hindi should not be aggressively thrust upon the southern people. In other words, the members from South India wanted that Hindi should not be forcefully imposed on them.