Amal Kiran's Correspondence with The Mother

c. February 1963

Dearest Mother,

Will you please approve this for Mother India, March 1963?

THE ALL-INDIA LANGUAGE QUESTION

The Mother’s Views

The only immediate solution is that each province should keep its own language as official language of the State and that for Central Administration the existing common language of English should continue for the moment.

A GIST OF SRI AUROBINDO’S VIEWS
(from Nirodbaran)

If India is to be an international State, English has its place and is even a necessity. There English alone can be the medium of expression, especially now that it is replacing French as a world-language.

But as it is a foreign tongue the nationalist sentiment will be against its being the common language of the country. As to Hindi becoming the common language, Hindi cannot replace English in the universities, nor can it substitute the provincial language.

When the national spirit grows, it is difficult to say what will happen. In Ireland, after the revolution, they wanted to abolish English and adopt Gaelic; but as time went on and things settled themselves their enthusiasm waned and English came back.

It is all right.

c. February 1963