Former Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde batted on Friday for making Sanskrit the official language of the country, claiming that Sanskrit can do exactly what English can do: serve as a link language between India’s various states and cultures. Bobde was speaking at Sanskrit Bharti’s Akhil Bhartiya Chhatra Sammellan.
According to him, English became the official language because it was the sole official language during British rule in India.
Former CJI Bobde stated that, “We might not have had this concept if it hadn’t been for the declaration of English as the official language and the only official language in India during British rule because Sanskrit can do exactly what English can do, namely be the link language throughout the length and breadth of the country.”
He further stated that everyone can understand and speak English because it was introduced as a language without linking it with any religion.
“If it was possible to introduce English in a country where no one understood it, let alone make it thrive as an official language, so that in 2023, a former Chief Justice is speaking to you in English, and everyone speaks in English…how is this possible? Because it was introduced as a simple language rather than religion or a component of religion, ” he stated.
According to the former CJI, some NASA scientists wrote a paper claiming that Sanskrit can be used to communicate messages in the fewest possible words.
He went on to say that, unlike during the British period, AI tolls would make it easier to understand the language today.
“AI works at 1 billion characters per second, so the entire body of vocabulary can be created by using words that everyone in India understands.”
He also stated that the chairperson of the Constitution’s drafting committee was the first to advocate for Sanskrit as the official language of the Government of India.
“Dr. Ambedkar signed a resolution proposal for the constituent assembly on September 11, 1949, proposing that Sanskrit be the official language of the Government of India as a constitutional requirement, and that resolution proposal was signed by people like West Bengal Professor Naziruddin Ahmad, Balakrishna Vishwanath Keskar and Dakshayani Velayudhan. They implemented this on September 11, 1949, fully aware that our population would be unable to understand governance in English ” he stated.
He continued, “Although Hindi and English are now utilised as the official languages in government and courts in accordance with the law, every Chief Justice of High Court receives representations from people to introduce respective regional languages in courts.
Bobde went on to say that Article 351 of the Indian Constitution mandates the development of Hindi based on the forms, signs, and expressions used in Hindustani and the other languages listed in the eight schedules.
“If Hindi can be improved by introducing something in Hindi, why not Sanskrit? There is still hope that Sanskrit will be introduced for good reasons… But let me clarify something… I’m referring to Sanskrit as rajya bhasha, or secular bhasha, because there are 60 to 70% Sanskrit words in Kannada, Odia, Assamese, Urdu, and many other languages, according to my limited knowledge of these languages.”
He added that Sanskrit is a viable secular language, so secular that it can be used by a computer; there is no question of religion or bias. He did, however, clarify that a language should not be imposed on the population.
