The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the use of Urdu alongside Marathi on the signboard of a municipal council in Patur, Maharashtra, ruling that both languages enjoy equal constitutional status.

According to a report, a bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and K Vinod Chandran delivered the verdict while dismissing a petition filed by Varshatai Sanjay Bagade, a former councillor from Patur. 

Bagade challenged the Municipal Council’s use of Urdu, arguing that only Marathi should be displayed as per the Maharashtra Local Authorities (Official Languages) Act, 2022.

Rejecting this claim, the court said, “There is no prohibition on the use of Urdu under the 2022 Act or in any provision of law...Marathi and Urdu occupy the same position under Schedule VIII of the Constitution of India.”

The Court noted that Urdu had been used on the council’s signboards since 1956 and was understood by a significant part of the local population. It pointed out that Bagade was not legally authorised to raise such objections, as only the Chief Officer of the Municipal Council could do so under the relevant law.

Highlighting the cultural significance of Urdu, the court remarked that the language, despite being born in India, had wrongly come to be associated with a particular religion.

 “This is not an occasion to have an elaborate discussion on the rise and fall of Urdu, but this much can be stated that this fusion of the two languages Hindi and Urdu met a roadblock in the form of the puritans on both sides and Hindi became more Sanskritized and Urdu more Persian,” the court said. 

“A schism exploited by the colonial powers...which is such a pitiable digression from reality; from unity in diversity; and the concept of universal brotherhood,” it added.

The Court underlined that Urdu is an Indo-Aryan language with deep roots in India. “The prejudice against Urdu stems from the misconception that Urdu is alien to India. This opinion, we are afraid, is incorrect...Urdu developed and flourished in India due to the need for people belonging to different cultural milieus who wanted to exchange ideas and communicate amongst themselves.”

Further speaking on language and identity, the court stressed that language should not be confused with religion. “Language is not religion. Language does not even represent religion. Language belongs to a community, to a region, to people; and not to a religion. Language is culture.”

The judgment highlights the significant presence of Urdu in the Indian legal system. “Urdu words have a heavy influence on court parlance, both in criminal and civil law. From Adalat to halafnama to peshi, the influence of Urdu is writ large in the language of the Indian courts.”

Calling for an inclusive approach to India’s linguistic diversity, the Court added, “Language is a medium for exchange of ideas that brings people holding diverse views and beliefs closer and it should not become a cause of their division...If people or a group of people, residing within the area covered by the Municipal Council are familiar with Urdu, then there should not be any objection if Urdu is used in addition to the official language, that is, Marathi.”