New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the use of Urdu on a municipal signboard in Maharashtra, stating that language reflects culture and should not divide people. It described Urdu as a key example of Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb, symbolising India’s composite culture.
A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and K Vinod Chandran dismissed a petition challenging the use of Urdu on the Patur Municipal Council building in Akola. The Court agreed with the Bombay High Court that the Maharashtra Local Authorities (Official Languages) Act, 2022, does not prohibit Urdu.
The Court emphasised that Urdu is not foreign to India—it is an Indo-Aryan language that originated and evolved within the country. Justice Dhulia wrote that language is a means of communication, not a marker of religion, and should be respected as part of India’s cultural and linguistic diversity.
The Court noted that Urdu ranks sixth among India’s most spoken scheduled languages and is spoken across most states. It rejected the notion that Urdu is alien, stating that the language grew from cultural exchanges and has been enriched over centuries, especially in literature.
The judges recalled that pre-Independence India was leaning towards accepting Hindustani—a blend of Hindi, Urdu, and Punjabi—as a national language. Jawaharlal Nehru supported this idea but stressed it wouldn’t replace regional languages. Partition and Pakistan’s adoption of Urdu as its national language derailed this vision.
The judgment clarified that while Hindi is India’s official language under Article 343 of the Constitution and English is used for official work, neither Hindustani nor Urdu were ever intended to be sidelined.
“Let us make friends with every language,” the Court said, urging respect for India’s linguistic diversity.
