Oath in Hindi: Justice Suryakant’s Historic Step

—Lalit Gargg—

The moment Justice Suryakant, the 53rd Chief Justice of India, took his oath in Hindi, it ceased to be a mere constitutional formality. It became a cultural, national, and psychological milestone—a new dawn in India’s linguistic self-confidence. This single event struck at decades of narrow debates, political contradictions, and artificial divisions surrounding language. In choosing Hindi for the oath, Justice Suryakant reaffirmed a timeless truth: language is not just a tool of communication; it is the living pulse of a nation.

The irony has always been stark: Hindi—one of the world’s most widely spoken languages—has struggled for acceptance on its own soil. India’s political landscape has long used language as a convenient weapon. Over the decades, certain regional movements and anti-Hindi campaigns attempted to diminish its stature by branding it as a language of a particular region. This was neither historically correct nor culturally honest. Hindi is not merely a regional tongue; it is the emotional expression of millions, the heartbeat of the masses, the subtle rhythm of India’s soul. Justice Suryakant’s oath is a sober reminder that India’s constitutional institutions carry not only the responsibility of law and administration but also the deeper mandate of nurturing national identity. His gesture signals the arrival of a new generation of institutions—confident, unhesitant, and rooted in Indian linguistic ethos.

The contradiction surrounding Hindi has always been artificial. In today’s global world, the value of a language rests on its acceptance and utility. Hindi is rising rapidly on this index. With nearly 615 million speakers worldwide, Hindi is the third most spoken language globally. Its presence is expanding across social media and digital platforms; it is taught in more than 175 universities worldwide; and Devanagari is counted among the world’s most scientific scripts. The United Nations now broadcasts a weekly Hindi bulletin. The number of Hindi learners is growing in the US, UK, Canada, Mauritius, South Africa, the Gulf nations, and Europe. Hindi cinema, OTT platforms, and digital media have given global culture a strong Hindi imprint. Yet within India, politics often turned this pride into hesitation. Justice Suryakant’s oath gently but firmly exposes this inconsistency: when the world is embracing Hindi with respect, India cannot afford to neglect it.

National symbols are not mere objects—they are carriers of collective consciousness. The national flag is not just fabric; it is the emotion of sacrifice. The national anthem is not just melody; it is the soul of unity. Likewise, the national language—call it Rajbhasha or Rashtrabhasha—is the invisible thread binding this diverse nation. Hindi has long suffered from needless hesitation and manufactured resistance. Justice Suryakant’s decision is a healing step—a symbolic bridge restoring linguistic dignity to the national psyche.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has played a pivotal role in elevating Hindi on the global stage. From the UN General Assembly to BRICS, G20, and other international forums, he has spoken in Hindi, sending a strong message that India does not shy away from its own language—it embraces it with pride. Before him, Atal Bihari Vajpayee pioneered this tradition when he addressed the UN in Hindi, his words echoing with the soul of India. Modi carried this legacy forward with renewed confidence, modernity, and international presence. Their leadership recognized that for a nation aspiring to global leadership, linguistic pride is inseparable from cultural sovereignty. When the nation’s Prime Minister speaks Hindi globally, and when its Chief Justice swears in Hindi, the message is clear: New India’s language policy is no longer driven by hesitation, but by natural cultural confidence.

Hindi is not merely an emotional preference; it is becoming the language of governance, justice, education, media, and technology. In the era of Digital India, Hindi is among the fastest-growing languages on the internet. In artificial intelligence, machine translation, digital journalism, and e-governance, the use of Hindi is expanding rapidly. A nation’s progress depends greatly on its linguistic self-reliance. Strong native languages strengthen innovation, public participation, and knowledge creation. Neglecting Hindi is not only a cultural oversight; it is an intellectual and developmental limitation. Justice Suryakant’s oath in Hindi is more than a linguistic choice—it is an ideological statement. It signals the end of an old linguistic anxiety. Respect for the national language is not a burden imposed on any region; it is a natural bond turning diversity into unity. Hindi is no longer a language to be imposed—it has already become the spontaneous voice of the masses.

The residual resistance to Hindi is now nothing more than political theatrics, disconnected from reality. New India is shedding its insecurities. Pride in its traditions, symbols, and language is becoming its defining mindset. From the judiciary to the executive, from international platforms to the digital universe—Hindi’s stature is rising. And this respect has emerged not from pressure or decree, but from the nation's own conscience. Justice Suryakant’s oath stands today as a symbol of New India’s cultural sovereignty. It proclaims that the nation will no longer hesitate before its own language. Hindi is not just a language—it is the luminous expression of India’s national soul, radiating confidence, cultural dignity, and unity. This is the path the new India walks—rooted in its language, anchored in its identity, and emboldened by its self-belief.