Facts

• Varshatai Sanjay Bagade, a former municipal councillor of Patur Municipal Council, located in Akola District, Maharashtra. She challenged the use of Urdu alongside Marathi on the official signboard of the Patur Municipal Council.

• She argued that the Maharashtra Local Authorities (Official Languages) Act, 2022, mandates Marathi as the sole official language for municipal bodies.

• According to her, displaying Urdu was illegal and unconstitutional, as it allegedly undermined the status of Marathi as the only official language in the state.

• The government responded that Urdu had historically been used on signboards in that region since 1956, well before the 2022 Act. It was also stated that the use of Urdu was practical, as a large section of the local population understood it.

• The High Court dismissed the petition. Varshatai then approached the Supreme Court, challenging the decision and seeking to remove Urdu from the signboard.

Issues

Whether the inclusion of Urdu alongside Marathi on the official signboard of the Patur Municipal Council violates the Maharashtra Local Authorities (Official Languages) Act, 2022, and undermines Marathi's status as the sole official language of the State?

Analysis

• The Maharashtra Local Authorities (Official Languages) Act, 2022 mandates Marathi as the official language, but it does not prohibit the use of additional languages such as Urdu.

• Both Marathi and Urdu are listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, granting them equal constitutional status as Indian languages.

• Thus, Urdu can be used for official communication alongside Marathi without violating the Constitution.

• Urdu had been used in Patur signboards since 1956, showing established and accepted practice long before the 2022 Act came into force.

• The local population understands Urdu, making its use practical and inclusive, especially for minority communities.

• The Court rejected the communal argument that Urdu is tied to a particular religion.

• It held that language belongs to people and culture, not religion, and must not be used as a tool for exclusion.

• The judgment emphasized that India is a multilingual and pluralistic society, and official communication should reflect this diversity.

• The Court concluded that the petitioner’s claim was based on a misunderstanding of both the statute and constitutional provisions.

• The use of Urdu on the signboard did not violate any statutory provision or diminish the status of Marathi as the state’s official language.

Judgement

The Court ruled that the Maharashtra Local Authorities (Official Languages) Act, 2022 mandates Marathi as the official language of local self-government, but does not prohibit the use of additional languages. It held that Urdu, like Marathi, is a language recognized under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, and thus, its use in municipal signage is both legal and constitutionally valid.

Rejecting the argument that Urdu's use was improper or communal, the Court emphasized that language is not religion, and associating a language with a particular faith is a misguided and divisive notion. It further observed that Urdu had been in use in the region for decades and was well understood by the local population.

The Court concluded that the petition was based on a misconception of law, and it reaffirmed India's linguistic plurality and secular ethos. Therefore, the use of Urdu along with Marathi was upheld as constitutional, lawful, and inclusive.

Therefore, observations made from the Judgement:

• • The Court firmly held that language should not be equated with religion, Urdu, like any other Indian language, belongs to the people and has no religious exclusivity.
• • The use of Urdu alongside Marathi does not violate the Maharashtra Local Authorities Act, 2022, as the Act mandates Marathi as official but does not prohibit additional languages.
• • The Court emphasized that linguistic inclusivity reflects India’s constitutional values and promotes accessible, democratic governance.

Conclusion

The Supreme Court’s judgment in Varshatai v. State of Maharashtra reaffirmed the principles of linguistic inclusivity, constitutional equality, and secular governance. The Court held that Marathi, though the official state language, does not exclude the use of other constitutionally recognized languages like Urdu, especially in regions where they are widely understood and historically used. The petitioner’s argument, seeking removal of Urdu from a municipal signboard, was dismissed as misguided and legally unfounded. Through this decision, the Court emphasized that language is a cultural bridge, not a religious marker, and upheld India’s pluralistic ethos. This case, stands as a progressive precedent safeguarding the minority linguistic rights within the framework of democratic governance.