Supreme Court Upholds Use of Urdu on Municipal Signboard: Language as Communication, Not Division (2025)

Date of the Judgment: April 15, 2025
Citation: 2025 INSC 486
Judges: Sudhanshu Dhulia, J., K. Vinod Chandran, J.

Can a Municipal Council display its name in a language other than the official state language on its signboard? The Supreme Court of India addressed this question in a recent case concerning the Municipal Council, Patur, in Maharashtra. The court upheld the decision to display the council’s name in Urdu alongside Marathi, emphasizing that language serves as a tool for communication and should not be a source of division. This judgment clarifies the scope of the Maharashtra Local Authorities (Official Languages) Act, 2022, and reinforces the importance of linguistic diversity in India.

Case Background

The appellant, a former member of the Municipal Council, Patur, objected to the use of Urdu on the signboard of the Municipal Council’s new building. The signboard displayed “Municipal Council, Patur” in Marathi at the top, with its translation in Urdu below. The appellant argued that all work of the Municipal Council should be conducted solely in Marathi, the official language of the State.

The Municipal Council deliberated on the objection and, through a resolution dated February 14, 2020, rejected it by a majority. The Council justified the use of Urdu, stating that a significant number of Council members and residents were familiar with the language, and this practice had been in place since 1956.

Dissatisfied, the appellant moved an application under Section 308 of the Maharashtra Municipal Councils, Nagar Panchayats and Industrial Townships Act, 1965, before the Collector, Akola, seeking to set aside the Municipal Council’s resolution. The Collector allowed the application on December 15, 2020, citing a government circular that mandated 100% use of Marathi in government proceedings.

Members of the Municipal Council challenged the Collector’s order before the Divisional Commissioner, Amravati, who set aside the Collector’s order on April 30, 2021. The appellant then filed Writ Petition No. 2219 of 2021 before the Bombay High Court (Nagpur Bench).

Timeline

Course of Proceedings

The appellant initially raised her objection before the Municipal Council, which rejected it. Subsequently, the Collector, Akola, allowed her application to set aside the Council’s resolution, but this order was overturned by the Divisional Commissioner, Amravati. The appellant then challenged the Divisional Commissioner’s order before the Bombay High Court (Nagpur Bench), which initially dismissed her petition. After the enactment of the Maharashtra Local Authorities (Official Languages) Act, 2022, the Supreme Court remanded the matter to the High Court for reconsideration. The High Court again ruled against the appellant, leading to the final appeal before the Supreme Court.

Legal Framework

The case primarily revolves around the interpretation of the Maharashtra Local Authorities (Official Languages) Act, 2022, and its impact on the use of languages other than Marathi in local administration. The appellant contended that Section 3(1) of the 2022 Act mandates the use of Marathi as the official language for all local authorities in the State.

Section 3(1) of the Maharashtra Local Authorities (Official Languages) Act, 2022 states:

“…Marathi has been declared as official language of all the Local Authorities in the State of Maharashtra, to be used for all official purposes as well as purposes related to public interface and public interest in all offices of the Local Authorities.”

The court also considered Article 345 of the Constitution of India, which empowers State legislatures to adopt Hindi or any other language in use in that State as the official language of that State.

Article 345 of the Constitution of India states:

“345. Official language or languages of a State: Subject to the provisions of articles 346 and 347, the Legislature of a State may by law adopt any one or more of the languages in use in the State or Hindi as the language or languages to be used for all or any of the official purposes of that State: Provided that, until the Legislature of the State otherwise provides by law, the English language shall continue to be used for those official purposes within the State for which it was being used immediately before the commencement of this Constitution.”

Arguments

Appellant’s Arguments:

• Marathi as the Sole Official Language: The appellant argued that the Maharashtra Local Authorities (Official Languages) Act, 2022, mandates the exclusive use of Marathi for all official purposes of local authorities, including signboards.
• Prohibition of Other Languages: The appellant contended that the 2022 Act, by specifying Marathi as the official language, implicitly prohibits the use of any other language, including Urdu, on signboards.

Municipal Council’s Arguments:

• No Explicit Prohibition: The Municipal Council argued that the 2022 Act does not explicitly prohibit the use of additional languages on signboards, as long as Marathi is also displayed.
• Communication and Inclusivity: The Council emphasized that using Urdu, a language familiar to a significant portion of the local population, enhances communication and inclusivity.

Issues Framed by the Supreme Court

1. Whether the use of Urdu on the signboard of the Municipal Council, Patur, is in violation of the Maharashtra Local Authorities (Official Languages) Act, 2022.

Treatment of the Issue by the Court: “The following table demonstrates as to how the Court decided the issues”

Authorities

The court considered the following authorities:

• Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sahitya Sammelan v. State of Uttar Pradesh (2014) 9 SCC 716 (Supreme Court of India): This case was considered to determine the constitutional validity of adopting Urdu as a second official language in Uttar Pradesh.
• Granville Austin, The Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of a Nation, Oxford University Press (2000): This book was referred to for understanding the debates in the Constituent Assembly regarding the language issue.

Judgment

How each authority was viewed by the Court?

• Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sahitya Sammelan v. State of Uttar Pradesh (2014) 9 SCC 716 (Supreme Court of India): The court relied on this case to support the view that adopting Hindi as an official language does not bar the state legislature from adopting other languages as official languages under Article 345 of the Constitution.
• Granville Austin, The Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of a Nation, Oxford University Press (2000): The court cited this book to understand the historical context and debates surrounding the language issue in the Constituent Assembly.

What weighed in the mind of the Court?

The Supreme Court emphasized the importance of linguistic diversity, the role of language in communication, and the absence of any legal prohibition on the use of Urdu on the Municipal Council’s signboard. The court also highlighted the historical and cultural significance of Urdu in India.

Fact:Law

Logical Reasoning

Issue: Whether the use of Urdu on the signboard of the Municipal Council, Patur, is in violation of the Maharashtra Local Authorities (Official Languages) Act, 2022.

Flowchart:

Maharashtra Local Authorities (Official Languages) Act, 2022 -> Does the Act prohibit the use of languages other than Marathi? -> NO -> Is Urdu included in the VIIIth Schedule of the Constitution? -> YES -> Use of Urdu on Signboard -> NOT in Violation

The court’s reasoning was based on the interpretation of the Maharashtra Local Authorities (Official Languages) Act, 2022, and the absence of any explicit prohibition on the use of additional languages. The court also considered the constitutional provisions relating to official languages and the importance of linguistic diversity.

Key quotes from the judgment:

• “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.”
• “We must respect and rejoice in our diversity, including our many languages.”
• “The display of an additional language cannot, by itself, be said to be in violation of the provisions of the 2022 Act.”

Key Takeaways

• The Maharashtra Local Authorities (Official Languages) Act, 2022, does not prohibit the use of languages other than Marathi on signboards of local authorities.
• Language is a tool for communication and should not be a source of division.
• India’s linguistic diversity should be respected and celebrated.

Development of Law

The ratio decidendi of the case is that the Maharashtra Local Authorities (Official Languages) Act, 2022, does not prohibit the use of languages other than Marathi on signboards of local authorities, as long as Marathi is also displayed. This clarifies the scope of the 2022 Act and reinforces the importance of linguistic diversity.

Conclusion

The Supreme Court dismissed the appeals, upholding the decision of the Bombay High Court. The court emphasized that the use of Urdu on the signboard of the Municipal Council, Patur, is not in violation of the Maharashtra Local Authorities (Official Languages) Act, 2022, and that language should be a medium for communication and unity, not division.

Category

✓ Constitutional Law
    ✓ Article 345, Constitution of India
✓ Language Rights
✓ Maharashtra Local Authorities (Official Languages) Act, 2022
✓ Linguistic Diversity
✓ Official Languages

FAQ

1. Does the Maharashtra Local Authorities (Official Languages) Act, 2022, prohibit the use of languages other than Marathi on signboards?
   No, the Act does not explicitly prohibit the use of additional languages on signboards, as long as Marathi is also displayed.
2. What was the Supreme Court’s view on the use of Urdu on the Municipal Council’s signboard?
   The Supreme Court upheld the use of Urdu, emphasizing that language is a tool for communication and should not be a source of division.
3. What is the significance of this judgment?
   This judgment clarifies the scope of the Maharashtra Local Authorities (Official Languages) Act, 2022, and reinforces the importance of linguistic diversity in India.