THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, Feb 11: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla today announced the extension of translation services in Parliament to six additional languages—Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Manipuri, Urdu, and Sanskrit.
These languages join the existing 10 regional languages, along with Hindi and English, in which translation services were already available. Birla also stated that efforts are underway to expand translations to 16 more languages as human resources become available.
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Highlighting India’s commitment to linguistic inclusivity, Birla noted that India’s parliamentary system supports translations in multiple languages, a move praised on international platforms. He reiterated that the goal is to include all 22 constitutionally recognized languages in the future.
However, DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran opposed the inclusion of Sanskrit, questioning why taxpayer money should be spent on a language spoken by only around 73,000 people, as per the 2011 Census. He argued that Sanskrit is not actively spoken in any Indian state.
In response, Birla firmly defended the decision, calling Sanskrit India’s “Mool Bhasha” (root language) and questioned Maran’s objection by emphasizing Parliament’s broader commitment to linguistic diversity.
