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| Incorporate Dogri on language panel of IC notes, if possible: HC | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Feb 9: In a PIL highlighting the utter discrimination being meted out to Dogri language both by the central and the state governments, a high court division bench of Chief Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar and Justice Bansi Lal Bhat today directed the respondents to consider the prayer of the petitioner, seeking incorporation of Dogri on the language panel of bank currency notes and Indian postal orders, if possible.
A decision in this regard be taken within four months from the date the copy of this order was served upon the respondents, the bench directed.
The bench, after hearing a battery of lawyers, observed that India is a multi-linguistic country with Constitution guaranteeing conservation of language, script or culture by any section of citizens residing in any part of the country. Each linguistic group has a guaranteed right to propagate and promote its language and share its rich literature with other country men. Therein lies the beauty of India as a notable example of unity in diversity. With the incorporation of 22 languages, including Dogri, in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution of India, Dogri aspires for its inclusion in the language panel of bank currency notes issued by Reserve Bank of India which is used as a legal tender. It also craves for finding a place on the language panel of Indian Postal Orders.
The argument that exclusion of Dogri from the language panel of bank currency notes and Indian Postal Orders smacks of a discriminatory attitude towards it cannot be countenanced as the decision in this regard is to be taken by the RBI's Central Board depending on various factors. Uniformity has to be ensured to allay the apprehensions of a particular linguistic group which feels alienated on account of exclusion of its language from language panel of Bank currency notes and Indian postal orders despite such language being included in 8th Schedule of Constitution. This can be done only by taking appropriate steps to include such scheduled language at its rightful place in the Bank currency notes and the Indian postal orders. It appears that inclusion of scheduled languages on the language panel of Bank currency notes and Indian postal orders is intended only to display its face value and not to promote such languages. Therefore, non-inclusion of all scheduled languages in the legal tender of RBI and Indian Postal Orders cannot be held to be violative of constitutional guarantee. With rapid increase in literacy rate, display of the face value on a legal tender or Indian postal order in the scheduled/regional languages would not be of much significance. Induction of national language viz Hindi and English as the langua- franca are serving the purpose of rendering the holder of such legal tender or Indian postal orders capable of ascertaining its value and having regard for the plea raised on behalf of the respondents that the panel of languages would be ever increasing on account of inclusion of more languages in 8th Schedule and lack of space on the standard bank notes and Indian postal orders may not admit of further accommodation of languages. Thus, this court is constrained to reject the plea of the petitioner in so far as giving a positive direction is concerned. The bench observed that the issue of re-classification of various languages and inclusion of a mother tongue in a language is a separate issue and the same is said to be awaiting finalization. The decision in this regard would depend upon various considerations and opinions of linguistic experts in the field will hold sway, the bench said. (JNF) |
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