“Language Is Not Religion”: SC Upholds Use of Urdu on Maharashtra Municipal Signboard

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition challenging the use of Urdu alongside Marathi on the nameboard of a municipal council in Maharashtra, asserting that language must not be conflated with religion.

A bench comprising Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice K Vinod Chandran delivered a strongly worded judgment, stating that “language is not religion” and that associating Urdu solely with Muslims is a “pitiable digression from reality and unity in diversity.”

The petition was filed by Varshatai Sanjay Bagade, a former councillor of Patur in Maharashtra’s Akola district. She contended that only Marathi, the state’s official language, should be used for municipal affairs, including signage, and that the presence of Urdu on the nameboard was impermissible under the Maharashtra Local Authorities (Official Languages) Act, 2022.

The apex court, however, upheld the Bombay High Court’s ruling, which had earlier rejected Bagade’s plea, and emphasized that the Act only mandates the inclusion of Marathi, without prohibiting additional languages like Urdu.

“Language belongs to a community, to a region, to people; and not to a religion. Language is culture. It is a yardstick to measure the civilizational march of a people,” the court observed.

Describing Urdu as a rich symbol of India’s composite culture — the ganga-jamuni tahzeeb — the bench noted that Urdu evolved on Indian soil as a means for people from diverse cultural backgrounds to communicate.

“Urdu, like Marathi and Hindi, is an Indo-Aryan language born in India. The prejudice against Urdu stems from the misconception that it is alien to India,” the bench stated.

It further pointed out that everyday Hindi conversations are infused with words of Urdu origin and even the word “Hindi” is derived from the Persian word “Hindavi.”

The court lamented the historical polarization of Hindi and Urdu along religious lines — a colonial legacy — calling it a “schism” that strayed from India’s unity in diversity.

Addressing the specific case, the court said the municipal council’s use of Urdu was merely an effort to effectively communicate with local residents who understand the language. “If people residing in the area are familiar with Urdu, there should be no objection to its use alongside Marathi, especially on the signboard,” the bench noted.

The ruling stressed that language should serve as a bridge, not a barrier. “Our misconceptions, perhaps even our prejudices against a language have to be courageously and truthfully tested against the reality — the great diversity of our nation. Our strength can never be our weakness. Let us make friends with Urdu and every language,” the court said.

Concluding the judgment, the court found the petition to be based on a misinterpretation of law and dismissed it, affirming that there is no legal prohibition against displaying Urdu alongside Marathi on municipal boards.