Thiruvananthapuram, February 18 Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar said on Wednesday that the resistance to Hindi in some parts of the country, particularly in South India, may be due to the presence of Urdu or Persian words in it, and suggested that the use of a vocabulary based on Sanskrit could provide a solution.
Arlekar said that the resistance to speaking Hindi in some parts of India may stem more from vocabulary barriers than from opposition to the language itself.
He observed that many words used in contemporary Hindi were borrowed from Urdu or Persian, which may make the language less accessible to speakers of South Indian languages.
The Governor suggested that wider use of a vocabulary based on Sanskrit – which he described as "Sanskrit-rich Hindi" – could make the language easier to understand across different regions of the country.
"If we incorporate more Sanskrit-derived words while speaking Hindi, many people in South India may understand it better than they do today," he said, adding that this approach would encourage inclusiveness rather than impose uniformity.
He was speaking at the centenary celebrations of renowned linguist V I Subramoniam, held at the International School of Dravidian Linguistics here, a statement issued by the Kerala Lok Bhavan said.
Arlekar was also of the view that linguistic challenges often arise from everyday usage rather than structural aspects of a language.
He contended that many Indian languages share deep historical and cultural connections through Sanskrit influence, and that emphasising such shared roots could help bridge linguistic divides.
Arlekar also highlighted India's linguistic diversity as a source of strength, describing regional languages as varied expressions of a common civilizational heritage.
He urged scholars and researchers to focus on identifying links among languages and promoting mutual understanding instead of emphasising differences.
The governor also emphasised that understanding one another's language is essential to building an inclusive and united India.