Hindi Language Movement and Nagari Pracharini Sabha Revival

The debate over Hindi language imposition in Maharashtra has reignited in 2025. The state government withdrew its order to make Hindi the default third language in schools. Political leaders Uddhav and Raj Thackeray united on a pro-Marathi platform. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin noted the BJP’s retreat in Maharashtra due to popular resistance. This controversy echoes the historical struggles of Hindi’s rise in India. A key player in that journey was the Nagari Pracharini Sabha, an organisation now active again after decades. IASPOINT explores its history and significance.

Hindi Language Status Under British Rule

During Mughal times, Persian was the official language. The British shifted this by 1832, insisting justice be delivered in languages common people understood. By 1861, English, Urdu, and Persian dominated courts in northern India. Hindi was not yet fully established due to a lack of comprehensive vocabulary. The 1890s saw the Devanagari script replace Persian script in official use, largely due to civil servant Antony MacDonnell’s efforts.

Founding and Role of Nagari Pracharini Sabha

Founded on 16 January 1893 by three Hindi scholars—Shyam Sunder Das, Pandit Ramnarayan Mishra, and Thakur Shivkumar Singh—the Sabha aimed to promote Hindi in courts and government offices. It undertook the compilation of an authoritative Hindi dictionary. From 1908, the Sabha sent collectors across India to gather words, local meanings, and synonyms. This work lasted 21 years and culminated in the 11-volume Shabd Sagar dictionary published in 1929.

Promoting Hindi Literature and Culture

The Sabha launched the Arya Bhasha Pustakalaya library in 1896, then India’s largest Hindi library. It published the influential Hindi magazine Saraswati from 1900, edited by Pandit Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi. Although not political, the Sabha’s Hindi movement gained support from leaders like Bal Gangadhar Tilak. Acharya Ramchandra Shukla’s ‘History of Hindi Literature’, published by the Sabha, remains a key text for Hindi literary studies.

Post-Independence Influence and Challenges

After 1947, the Sabha enjoyed the patronage of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Its research journal Nagari Pracharini Patrika has been published continuously since 1896. The Sabha expanded from Banaras to Haridwar and New Delhi. Swami Satyadev Parivrajak contributed land for its Haridwar centre. However, from the 1970s, political conflicts weakened the Sabha’s work. Leadership disputes led to a 2024 Allahabad High Court ruling favouring Vyomesh Shukla’s faction.

Recent Revival and Publications

Under new leadership, the Sabha has revived its activities. Recently, it reprinted Acharya Ramchandra Shukla’s ‘History of Hindi Literature’. It also published a collection of Hindi poems by Amir Khusrau. This revival reflects renewed interest in Hindi’s cultural heritage amid contemporary language debates in India.

Questions for UPSC:

1. Point out the role of language movements in shaping Indian national identity during the colonial period with suitable examples.
2. Critically analyse the impact of language politics on federalism in India. How does it influence state-centre relations?
3. Estimate the significance of literary organisations like Nagari Pracharini Sabha in preserving and promoting regional languages in India.
4. What are the challenges faced by multilingual societies in implementing language policies? Discuss with reference to India’s linguistic diversity.

Answer Hints:

1. Point out the role of language movements in shaping Indian national identity during the colonial period with suitable examples.

1. Language movements encourageed cultural pride and unity against colonial rule (e.g., Hindi promotion vs. Persian/Urdu under British).
2. Nagari Pracharini Sabha’s efforts standardized Hindi, aiding linguistic identity and nationalism.
3. Regional language movements (e.g., Tamil, Marathi) preserved local identities and resisted cultural domination.
4. Language linked to religion and region, e.g., Hindi, Hindu, Hindustan slogan strengthened Hindu-national identity.
5. Language movements mobilized masses, influencing freedom struggle leaders like Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
6. They challenged colonial language policies, asserting indigenous languages in courts, education, and administration.

2. Critically analyse the impact of language politics on federalism in India. How does it influence state-centre relations?

1. Language politics has led to creation of linguistic states, shaping India’s federal structure (e.g., Andhra Pradesh formation in 1953).
2. It often fuels regionalism, impacting centre’s authority and policy implementation.
3. Conflicts arise over language imposition, seen in Maharashtra’s Hindi-Marathi tensions or Tamil Nadu’s anti-Hindi agitations.
4. Language demands influence resource allocation, education policies, and political alliances between states and centre.
5. Centre sometimes uses language policy to assert integration, but excessive imposition causes backlash and separatist tendencies.
6. Language politics necessitates constitutional safeguards (Eighth Schedule, official language policies) to balance diversity and unity.

3. Estimate the significance of literary organisations like Nagari Pracharini Sabha in preserving and promoting regional languages in India.

1. They standardize and enrich language through dictionaries, literature, and research (e.g., Shabd Sagar dictionary by Sabha).
2. Promote literacy and cultural awareness via publications, libraries, and journals (e.g., Saraswati magazine, Nagari Pracharini Patrika).
3. Preserve linguistic heritage by documenting dialects, synonyms, and local usages.
4. Support language movements without direct political involvement, maintaining cultural focus.
5. Help institutionalize languages in education, courts, and administration, influencing policy and identity.
6. Serve as custodians of literary history and encourage new generations of writers and scholars.

4. What are the challenges faced by multilingual societies in implementing language policies? Discuss with reference to India’s linguistic diversity.

1. Balancing promotion of national language(s) with protection of regional and minority languages.
2. Resistance to perceived language imposition causing social unrest (e.g., anti-Hindi agitations in Tamil Nadu).
3. Administrative complexity in providing education, governance, and services in multiple languages.
4. Political exploitation of language issues leading to regionalism and inter-state conflicts.
5. Resource constraints in developing educational materials and trained personnel for all languages.
6. Need for constitutional and policy frameworks that respect linguistic plurality while encouraging unity.