SC Affirms Linguistic Diversity, Allows Urdu on Patur Municipal Signboard Supreme Court Urdu signboard ruling

SC Affirms Linguistic Diversity: The Supreme Court of India, in a judgment delivered by Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice K. Vinod Chandran, dismissed an appeal filed by Mrs. Varshatai Sanjay Bagade challenging the use of Urdu on the signboard of the Patur Municipal Council building in Akola district, Maharashtra.

The Court held that the Maharashtra Local Authorities (Official Languages) Act, 2022 does not prohibit the use of an additional language alongside Marathi.

Affirming the Bombay High Court’s decision, the Court observed that both Urdu and Marathi are included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution and therefore enjoy equal constitutional recognition.

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The Supreme Court also stated that Urdu “is the finest specimen of "Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb", or the Hindustani tehzeeb”.

It added that it is a “misconception that Urdu is alien to India”, stating that “it is a language which was born in this land”.

Elaborating on the bench’s views on Urdu and languages in general. Justice Dhulia wrote, “Language is not religion. Language does not even represent religion. Language belongs to a community, to a region, to a people; and not to a religion.”

“Language is not religion. Language does not even represent religion. Language belongs to a community, to a region, to people; and not to a religion,” the bench said.

“So is the case of Urdu, which is the finest specimen of Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb, or the Hindustani tehzeeb, which is the composite cultural ethos of the plains of northern and central India,” The Indian Express reported, citing the judgment.

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“Before language became a tool for learning, its earliest and primary purpose will always remain communication,” justice Dhulia said.

“The purpose here for the use of Urdu is merely communication. All the municipal council wanted to do was to make an effective communication. This is the primary purpose of a language, which the Bombay High Court has laid emphasis on,” the court said.

“We must respect and rejoice in our diversity, including our many languages. India has more than hundred major languages. Then there are other languages known as dialects or ‘mother tongues’ which also run into hundreds.

According to the 2001 Census, India had a total of 122 major languages including the 22 scheduled languages, and a total of 234 mother tongues. Urdu was the sixth most spoken scheduled language of India. In fact, it is spoken by at least a part of the population in all States and Union Territories, except perhaps in our North-Eastern States,” it said.

Since during the pendency, the 2022 Act was enacted, the Supreme Court disposed of the SLP observing that the order of the High Court was unsustainable and it is open for the party aggrieved to seek recourse to remedy as available in law. Subsequently, the matter was heard by a division bench of the High Court, which is under challenge.

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