How Hindi overtook Sanskrit

[Guest guest]

"N.S.Rajaram" <nsrajaram@v...> wrote:

April 28, 2005

 

Here is what I found. In December 1949, Ambedkar, supported by

Professor Nizamuddin raised the issue of making Sanskrit the national

language. He was supported also by a large number of memebrs from

Tamil Nadu. Ambedkar was also the first to sign it on 12 December

1949. Two days earlier, on December 10, at the working meeting of the

All India Scheduled Caste Federation meeting, he explicitly stated

that Sanskrit should be the national language. He was oppose mainly

by North Indian members, mainly B.P. Maurya (though he later

regretted it).

 

Ambedkar expressed his disappointment at a press conference the

same evening. Many of the positions taken by AMbedkar would be

denounced today as "Brahminical."

 

The issue was debated among the Congress members from 20 to 25

December 1949. Vote was taken on December 25, with 77 in favor of

Sanskrit and 77 against. Satyanarayanan, who was presiding over the

Congress party members did not cast the deciding vote. The result was

a deadlock and with that (and Rajendra Prasad favoring Hindi over

Sanskrit) Hindi was adopted.

 

This was reported in The Hindustan (Hindi edition of The

Hindustan Times).

 

There must be others who are more knowledgeable on the issue.

 

Rajaram

 

-

Ram Narayanan

bharatiyaexpertsforum

Wednesday, April 27, 2005 1:10 PM

Re: [bEF] Re: DECOLONISE THE MINDS-- Use Sanskrit

 

 

 

Dear Shri Rajaram:

 

You have said:

 

>>

something called Hindi was made the "national language" in 1950 in

preference to Sanskrit (which was Ambedkar's wish).

<<

 

Is there a site which one can look at for authentication of this

point -- that Ambedkar wanted Sanskrit to be the official language of

India?

 

Ram

 

 

 

 

 

--- End forwarded message ---