HistoryModern India: Framing the Constitution

A few months before his death, Mahatma Gandhi reiterated his views on…

A few months before his death, Mahatma Gandhi reiterated his views on the language question. How did he describe confining oneself to Hindi or Urdu?

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 3

The correct answer is Option (3) → A crime against intelligence and the spirit of patriotism

Gandhi wrote in 1947 that Hindustani should be a happy combination of Hindi and Urdu, and that confining oneself to either would be <strong>a crime against intelligence and the spirit of patriotism</strong>.

Note: The item uses Source 10 on the same page as block 1815-144.

NCERT (2026-27): “5. The Language of the Nation …
A few months before his death Mahatma Gandhi reiterated his views on the language question: This Hindustani should be neither Sanskritised Hindi nor Persianised Urdu but a happy combination of both. It should also freely admit words wherever necessary from the different regional languages and also assimilate words from foreign languages, provided that they can mix well and easily with our national language. Thus our national language must develop into a rich and powerful instrument capable of expressing the whole gamut of human thought and feelings. To confine oneself to Hindi or Urdu would be a crime against intelligence and the spirit of patriotism.”