The Supreme Court of India recently raised a significant question during a hearing involving the removal of Urdu language signboards in Patur Municipal Council, Maharashtra. “What is your issue with Urdu?” the court inquired, underscoring the constitutional status of Urdu as one of the languages recognized in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
The bench, led by Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice Ahsanuddin, heard the appeal against a decision by the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court dated April 10, which had previously dismissed a petition demanding the removal of signboards featuring the name of the municipal body in both Marathi and Urdu. The High Court had ruled that there is no prohibition on displaying municipal council signboards in languages other than Marathi, the state’s official language, alongside Marathi.
The petition, initiated by the president of the Akola District Marathi Language Committee, argued that the Maharashtra Local Authority (Official Language) Act, 2022, prohibits the use of languages other than Marathi on signboards of civic authorities. However, the Supreme Court highlighted the importance of respecting and understanding the diversity of languages, especially in areas where languages like Urdu are widely spoken.
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Justice Dhulia remarked, “Understand this; Urdu is a language listed in the Eighth Schedule. It may be the only language understood in certain regions.”
The state government of Maharashtra has been directed to file its response and clarify its stance by the next hearing, scheduled for September 9.
