Chandigarh: Spotlight on language policy at Pradeep memorial lecture at PU

Professor Pradeep Kumar Memorial Lecture was delivered by G Gopa Kumar, ex-VC, Kerala Central University, at PU, Chandigarh; he spoke on language policy and policies of south Indian states

The Professor Pradeep Kumar Memorial Lecture was delivered by G Gopa Kumar, former vice-chancellor, Kerala Central University, at PU on Thursday. The lecture was chaired by emeritus professor BS Brar of Panjab University. The lecture is held annually in the memory of Professor Pradeep Kumar, a former faculty member in the department of political science.

The Professor Pradeep Kumar Memorial Lecture was chaired by emeritus professor BS Brar of PU. It was delivered by G Gopa Kumar, former VC, Kerala Central University, at PU, Chandigarh, on Thursday. He spoke on language policy and policies of south Indian states. (HT File Photo/ Representational image)

Speaking on “Language policy and policies of south Indian states”, Professor Kumar presented an overview of the way language question has unfolded in India since the colonial days. “Facing resistance from the non-Hindi speaking members, the constituent assembly had also accorded equal status to 14 Indian languages. To concede to the demands of those who wished to promote Hindi as the national language, the three-language formula was implemented in 1968 based on the BG Kher Commission recommendation. Accordingly, Hindi, English and a regional language were to be the part of the official language policy of the constituent states,” he said.

Focussing the lecture on the southern states, Professor Kumar observed that even after the reorganisation, linguistic minorities remained in different proportions.