Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 9: In a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Advocate B R Manhas highlighting utter discrimination being meted out to Dogri language both by the Central and the State Governments, Division Bench of State High Court comprising 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 language on the language panel of Bank currency notes and Indian Postal Orders, if the same is possible.
After hearing battery of lawyers from both the sides, DB observed, “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 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 the Reserve Bank of India which is used as a legal tender”, the DB said, adding “it also craves for finding a place on the language panel of Indian Postal Orders”.
“The argument that exclusion of Dogri from being incorporated on the language panel of Bank currency notes issued by the Reserve Bank of India and Indian Postal Orders smacks of a discriminatory attitude towards it cannot be countenanced as the decision to incorporate a particular language on the language panel of Bank currency notes rests with the Central Board of Reserve Bank of India depending on various factors”, the DB said.
“Uniformity has to be ensured to allay the apprehensions of a particular linguistic group who 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”, the DB said, adding “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 Reserve Bank of India 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”, the DB said, adding “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 DB said, adding the decision in this regard would depend upon various considerations and opinions of linguistic experts in the field will hold sway.
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