In a significant move to enhance inclusivity, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced on Tuesday the extension of translation services in Parliament to six additional languages: Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Manipuri, Urdu, and Sanskrit. This expansion builds on the existing services available in 10 languages, including Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, and others, alongside Hindi and English.
Birla emphasized India’s commitment to linguistic diversity, stating, “India’s parliamentary system is a democratic framework that provides translations in so many languages. Our goal is to include all 22 officially recognized languages in the future.” He highlighted that international platforms have praised India’s efforts to facilitate multilingual communication in Parliament.
However, the inclusion of Sanskrit sparked controversy. DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran questioned the allocation of public funds for translating a language spoken by only 70,000 people, according to census data. Responding to the criticism, Birla defended the decision, stating, “This is India, whose ‘Mool Bhasha’ (root language) has been Sanskrit. We are not focusing solely on Sanskrit but on all 22 languages.”
The announcement underscores India’s efforts to promote linguistic inclusivity while reigniting debates over the prioritization of resources for lesser-spoken languages.
