question_answer

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

Answer:

The Constituent Assembly sought to resolve the language controversy in the following way:

1. The language controversy. It was a sensitive and tedious issue before the Constituent Assembly was a challenging task to untwist this knotty problem. A. strong plea made by R.V. Dhulekar, a Congressman from the united provinces, that Hindi should be used as the language of constitution making. However, when he was told that not all the members of the Constituent Assembly knew the language. At this Dhulekar retorted. ?People who are present in this house to fashion a constitution for India and do not know Hindustani are not worthy to be members of this Assembly They better leave?.

2. This pungent remark created lots of commotion in the house. However Dhulekar proceeded with his speech in Hindi. Nehruji intervened at this crucial juncture to restore peace in the House. But this controversial issue continued to disrupt proceedings of the Constituent Assembly and agitate members over the subsequent three years. On 12 September 1947, Dhulekar?s speech on the language of the nation once again kicked it huge storm.

3. The Language Committee of the Constituent Assembly submitted its report and had thought of a compromise formula as a solution for resolving the deadlock between those advocated Hindi as the National language and those who were in the opposition. The Committee had decided but not yet formally declared that Hindi in the Devanagari script would be the official language, but the transition to Hindi would be in stages. For the first 15 years, English would continue to be used for all official purposes.

4. In this way, by considering Hindi as the official rather than the National language, the Language Committee expected to satisfy boiling emotions and reached at a solution that would be acceptable for everyone. Shrimati Durgabai from Madras explained her worries and informed the House that opposition in the South against Hindi was very strong. Many members of the Assembly appealed for a spirit of accommodation as the discussion became bitter. T.A. Ramalingam Chattier emphasised that ?Whatever was done had to be done with caution; the cause of Hindi would not be helped if it was pushed too aggressively. The fears of the people, even if they were unjustified, had to be allayed, or else ?there will be bitter feelings left behind.? ?When we want to live together and form a united nation,? he said ?there should be mutual adjustment and no question of forcing things on people...?