Not Sanskrit, but Hinglish Will Become the People’s Language of Developed India in 2047

These days, Sanskrit and culture are much talked about, while Devanagari seems to be quietly disappearing. There is enthusiasm on World Hindi Day, but hardly any serious effort to protect and promote the Devanagari script. Across India—from Maharashtra to Delhi—and abroad, from Myanmar to Mauritius, events celebrating Hindi are being held. On the same day, the World Book Fair has also begun in New Delhi, with international participation, especially from Qatar and Spain. Hindi is visible everywhere, yet much of it appears merely formal and superficial, masking the deeper truth.

At the book fair, the chief guest, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, arrived nearly two hours late, in keeping with the reputation of Indian political leaders. With winter cold, pollution and political fog thick over Delhi, even the minister looked visibly uncomfortable. A short official film by the National Book Trust played at the inauguration, in which author Shashi Tharoor appeared more prominently than others. Mr. Pradhan rushed through his prepared speech, while the guests from Spain and Qatar spoke briefly. Among the most impressive features of the fair was the creative presentation of the bravery of India’s three armed forces through books.

Although the day was officially dedicated to the World Book Fair, the real centre of attraction turned out to be National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. Huge crowds gathered to listen to him, and his speech in Hindi was notably substantive and timely. He was addressing a separate programme at Pragati Maidan commemorating Swami Vivekananda. Dharmendra Pradhan’s late arrival only added to the prominence of Doval’s event.

The question arises: why did Sanskrit and culture suddenly come into focus on World Hindi Day? Just days ago, some Muslim citizens had expressed concern over rumours that Sanskrit might be made India’s national or official language. This, in fact, is a strange and baseless rumour. The real danger lies elsewhere: the entire Devanagari script is under threat. The government, citizens and social media together are undermining Hindi—and especially its script. Even the World Book Fair seems to reflect this disturbing reality.

At Hans Prakashan’s stall, when poet Mrityunjay Govind’s new book Pattharon Ka Shehar (City of Stones) was presented and admirers tried to congratulate him via WhatsApp, the platform offered English “Congratulations” emojis and stickers but none in Hindi for “Badhaai.” This digital discrimination discourages the use of Hindi. WhatsApp did not even acknowledge that it was World Hindi Day !

On this day, Hindi speakers in India and abroad must reflect seriously: are we contributing to the growth of Hindi, or are we facilitating the disappearance of its script and paving the way for Hinglish? If World Hindi Day and the World Book Fair continue in this manner, and if we remain trapped in linguistic rivalries and poetry gatherings, then by 2047 Sanskrit will not dominate—but Hinglish will. Hindi may then survive only as Sanskrit does today: limited to rituals, poetry and occasional ceremonial use. This would harm not only Hindi but all Indian languages that use the Devanagari script.

It must also be remembered that even more than Hindi, another great language of India’s freedom struggle—Urdu—is in greater danger. Therefore, all Indians must come together to preserve and expand India’s linguistic and cultural heritage, while remaining vigilant against misleading rumours.

Culture itself is under threat and increasingly reduced to mere spectacle. The World Book Fair bears witness to this as well. The culture of reading is fading, while a culture of freebies is growing rapidly. If people travel on free buses to a fair with free entry and then rush to grab everything for free, this is hardly beneficial for the country, its culture or Hindi. On the very first day of the fair, many embarrassing scenes were witnessed—people even rushed onto the stage to collect leftover dry fruits after the guests had left. If this is the state of affairs in Delhi, one can only imagine what is happening elsewhere.

In matters of culture, India has much to learn from guest countries like Qatar and Spain, as well as others participating in the fair. They are far more sensitive and alert about preserving their languages and cultures. Why is that so? The answer lies in the very events of this book fair and in the way World Hindi Day has been observed so far.