India is a multi-national, multi-lingual and
multi-religious country. This fact was partly realized by the founding fathers of the
constitution, when they were assigned the task of drafting it. But unfortunately full
recognition to the fact that India before the partition was and continues to be after the
partition a conglomeration of various nations and nationalities could not be accorded till
this day. The problems that crop up time and again pertaining to the language issue have
their root in the non-recognition of the above fact. The frequent demand for the
recognition of certain languages and dialects as being raised at different points of time
is just an indicator of the feelings of the people. As language happens to be the most
important ingredient of the nationhood, the people want to live with their national
identity and do not want to lose it at any cost.
Fortunately, the authorities of the Institute of
Objective Studies realized this truth and decided to clinch the issue, when they organised
a three-day seminar on the Language Problem in India in 1994. The seminar was a success in
the sense that many scholars and experts from different parts of the country participated
in its deliberations and many distinguished personalities including Hon. Mr. Arjun Singh,
the then Union Minister of Human Resource Development, New Delhi addressed various
sessions of the same. We are further fortunate in publishing the papers and proceedings of
the seminar.
As many as twenty one papers dealing with various
aspects of the problem say, National Language/Associate Language, state languages,
regional languages, classical languages, dialect language relationship, demand of certain
languages for inclusion in the Eighth Schedule of the constitution and so on. We have also
incorporated the Welcome Speech of Dr. Mohd. Manzoor Alam, the Chairman of the Institute,
the Inaugural Speech of Hon. Mr. Arjun Singh, the Presidential Address of Jb. Hakim Abdul
Hameed, the Keynote Address of Prof. Shakeel-ur-Rehman and so on. We have also added in
the Appendices four matters equally important from the point of view of the seminar. These
are Seminar Report, Statement adopted during the seminar, a list of Contributors and
finally a list of Some Learned Scholars who participated in one form or the other in the
deliberations of the seminar.
