Moturi Satyanarayana
Encyclopedia
Satyanarayana Moturi (b: February 2, 1902 - d. March 6, 1995) was an Indian freedom fighter alongside Mohandas Gandhi until 1947, a member of the Constituent Assembly of India
which drafted the Indian Constitution, and a member of the Rajya Sabha
(the Upper House in the Indian government) until 1966. He was instrumental in making Hindi an official language in the Indian Constitution, while tolerating the other major Indian languages. He devoted his later life to helping spread Hindi in South India.
village in the Krishna district
of Andhra Pradesh
, India
. After his primary education, he studied English, Telugu, and Hindi at the National College in Machilipatnam, achieving a high proficiency in them. He joined the Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachara Sabha as a volunteer and gradually became the Secretary and Principal Secretary of that organization. A major mission in his life would be to efficiently promote the growth of Hindi in South India
between 1936 to 1961. He married Shrimati Suryakanta Devi and had three sons and four daughters with her.
in 1942 and was jailed.
During this time, Moturi was an active promoter of the Hindi language. He was the Editor of "Hindi Pracharak" (1926-36), "Hindi Prachar Samachar" (1938-61) and Dakshina Bharat (1947-61). He organised many Institutions all over India such as "Dakshina Bharata Hindi Prachara Sabha" of Madras (1926-61). He was the Founding Secretary of "Telugu Basha Samithi" of Madras and Hyderabad.
from 1948-50. He served as a Member of the Drafting Committee of the Indian Constitution for its Language Section. He was a key figure in the divisive debates on: what to make the official language of India (Hindi, English, or a number of local languages such as Bengali, Telugu, Tamil, etc.); how to set up a pluralistic civil service examination system; and how to balance local languages with national languages at different levels of government.
as a Rajya Sabha
(Upper House) member. He served twice between 1954 and 1966 (3-4-1954 to 2-4-1960 and 3-4-1960 to 2-4-1966). He was also a member of: the Madras Legislative Council (1952-54); the Central Advisory Board of Education of the Govt. of India; the Madras University Senate (1952-53); the Central Official Languages Commission (1954-56).
award in 1954 and the Padma Bhushan
award in 1962, both from the Government of India. Andhra University
honored him with its Kala Prapoorna award in 1977.
Moturi lived to the age of 93. When a family member asked the nonagenarian Moturi about the secret of his longevity, his brief response was: "Listen more, eat less."
Constituent Assembly of India
The Constituent Assembly of India was elected to write the Constitution of India, and following independence served as the nation's first Parliament.-Nature of the Assembly:...
which drafted the Indian Constitution, and a member of the Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...
(the Upper House in the Indian government) until 1966. He was instrumental in making Hindi an official language in the Indian Constitution, while tolerating the other major Indian languages. He devoted his later life to helping spread Hindi in South India.
Early life, Family, and Education
Moturi was born in DondapaduDondapadu
Dondapadu is a village in Gudivada Mandal within Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh State, India. It is from Gudivada....
village in the Krishna district
Krishna district
Krishna District is a district of India's Andhra Pradesh state. It is named after the Krishna River, the third longest river that flows within India, flows through the district and joins Bay of Bengal here in this district. It has a population of 4,529,009 of which 32.08% is urban as of...
of Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. After his primary education, he studied English, Telugu, and Hindi at the National College in Machilipatnam, achieving a high proficiency in them. He joined the Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachara Sabha as a volunteer and gradually became the Secretary and Principal Secretary of that organization. A major mission in his life would be to efficiently promote the growth of Hindi in South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
between 1936 to 1961. He married Shrimati Suryakanta Devi and had three sons and four daughters with her.
Activism in the Indian Independence Movement (1925-1947)
Moturi participated in Quit India MovementQuit India Movement
The Quit India Movement , or the August Movement was a civil disobedience movement launched in India in August 1942 in response to Mohandas Gandhi's call for immediate independence. Gandhi hoped to bring the British government to the negotiating table...
in 1942 and was jailed.
During this time, Moturi was an active promoter of the Hindi language. He was the Editor of "Hindi Pracharak" (1926-36), "Hindi Prachar Samachar" (1938-61) and Dakshina Bharat (1947-61). He organised many Institutions all over India such as "Dakshina Bharata Hindi Prachara Sabha" of Madras (1926-61). He was the Founding Secretary of "Telugu Basha Samithi" of Madras and Hyderabad.
Framer of the Indian Constitution (1948-50)
After India became independent from Britain, Moturi was a member of the Constituent Assembly of IndiaConstituent Assembly of India
The Constituent Assembly of India was elected to write the Constitution of India, and following independence served as the nation's first Parliament.-Nature of the Assembly:...
from 1948-50. He served as a Member of the Drafting Committee of the Indian Constitution for its Language Section. He was a key figure in the divisive debates on: what to make the official language of India (Hindi, English, or a number of local languages such as Bengali, Telugu, Tamil, etc.); how to set up a pluralistic civil service examination system; and how to balance local languages with national languages at different levels of government.
Member of India's Parliament (1950-66)
After Indian Independence, from 1950-52, Moturi was a member of the Provisional Parliament of India as an MP. After the Indian Constitution was drafted, Moturi was nominated by the President of IndiaPresident of India
The President of India is the head of state and first citizen of India, as well as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. President of India is also the formal head of all the three branches of Indian Democracy - Legislature, Executive and Judiciary...
as a Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...
(Upper House) member. He served twice between 1954 and 1966 (3-4-1954 to 2-4-1960 and 3-4-1960 to 2-4-1966). He was also a member of: the Madras Legislative Council (1952-54); the Central Advisory Board of Education of the Govt. of India; the Madras University Senate (1952-53); the Central Official Languages Commission (1954-56).
Scholarly Interests and Propagation of Hindi through India
Moturi had many scholarly interests. He was the Chief Editor of Encyclopedia on Social Sciences in Hindi published by the Hindi Vikas Samithi, Madras. He was the founding secretary of the Telugu Bhasha Samiti. He also founded the Hindi Vikas Samiti and published 'Vishwa Vignana Samhita.' Finally, Moturi was an editor for a comprehensive encyclopedia published in his native language of Telugu.Awards and Death
Later in his life, Moturi won many awards. He was a recipient of the Padma ShriPadma Shri
Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
award in 1954 and the Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
award in 1962, both from the Government of India. Andhra University
Andhra University
Andhra University or Andhra Viswa Kala Parishad , located in Visakhapatnam, north east coastal Andhra Pradesh, is one of the older premier universities in India with a broad focus...
honored him with its Kala Prapoorna award in 1977.
Moturi lived to the age of 93. When a family member asked the nonagenarian Moturi about the secret of his longevity, his brief response was: "Listen more, eat less."
Legacy
As an activist for Indian Independence, a framer of the Indian Constitution, and a Parliamentarian, Moturi was a key figure in India's political history. However, some people criticize his decision to support Hindi, and not English, as the official language of India. The awkward provisions in the Indian Constitution and a later push by pro-Hindi hardliners led to "language riots" in the 1960s in southern states such as Tamil Nadu, where more than 60 people died. Several students immolated themselves protesting the forced use of Hindi as the national language. While English has become the de facto national language of India by 2010, the Indian Constitution has continued to serve as the fundamental basis of the India's polity and society and its drafting was a major accomplishment.Further Reading
- Austin, Granville. The Indian Constitution, Cornerstone of a Nation. New Delhi: OUP India, 1999. ISBN 78019564958
- Bipan Chandra, Mridula Mukherjee, and Aditya Mukherjee. India Since Independence, Revised Edition. New Delhi: Penguin Books India, 2008.