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Popularising Hindi will strengthen India: Advani

Union Home Minister L K Advani has said it was 'a matter of regret' that an attempt to make Hindi the national language became a subject of controversy.

In the process, a powerful tool for strengthening the country was weakened, he added.

After awarding the eighth Vyas Samman to noted Hindi writer Govind Mishra for his Paanch Aanganon Wala Ghar in New Delhi, Advani said the United States emerged as a powerful nation because it made English the national language even though the European emigrants spoke different languages.

Similarly, the Chartist Movement in 19th century England helped break the stranglehold of Latin and make English the language of the commoners.

In India, however, Hindi, which was naturally accepted as the link-language before 1947, became a subject of controversy after Independence. Not enough was done in the post-Independence period for its promotion, Advani said.

Though Hindi was not his mother tongue, the Union minister continued, he made a special effort to learn it when his family came to Delhi after the Partition.

''And now I can say that I prefer to speak in Hindi whenever given the choice,'' he said.

Lauding the K K Birla Foundation for instituting the Vyas Samman, Advani said that by recognising Hindi literature it was contributing towards the promotion of a strong national force. The samman (award) comprises Rs 250,000 besides a citation and plaque.

In his acceptance speech, Mishra regretted that there were few readers for serious literature. He said the history of India was one of philosophy and introspection; a society that loses touch with its roots could not progress.

Earlier, presiding over the sixth meeting of the Standing Committee of the Inter State Council, Advani said Article 356 was 'wrongly used' an alarming number of times.

Of the 111 invocations so far, it was unavoidable only 23 times. "In two-third of the cases it was wrongly used," Advani said.

The article, he continued, should be sparingly invoked. ''As medicine and not as food" because "it means taking away the powers of an elected government.''

The home minister said that after the Bommai judgment the courts had automatically imposed certain safeguards against its misuse.

''Previously the courts said they should not interfere in the President's decision. But after the Bommai judgment, they can ask what was the justification for invoking the article,'' he explained.

UNI

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