Talk by Smita Lahiri

Official Hindi (my term) is a widely used linguistic register that owes its existence to state-sponsored language development in newly independent India. Ideologies projecting Official Hindi as “pure” and legitimate (shuddh Hindi) resonate with many groups, including both users and non-users of the register. Others deride so-called Sarkari Hindi (i.e., “government-speak”) as leaden, rolling their eyes at its Sanskrit-derived coinages and constructions. Moreover, secular-minded cultural critics charge that Official Hindi perpetuates upper caste hegemony and Hindu majoritarianism and consistently draw attention to the registers’ origins in post-Independence language modernization efforts, which systematically targeted elements of palpably Arab and Persian for replacement by Sanskrit-based neologisms. This talk offers a different look at Official Hindi, tracing its spread beyond bureaucratic-administrative settings and its normalization within key educational and mass media domains nationwide. Subsequently, it discusses ongoing developments in Official Hindi, notably its transition from the primarily written mode into public speech, using examples from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s oratory and other sources.