It is, Indeed, a privilege for me to discuss before this gathering of distinguished scholars the subject of “The Role of Languages in the Development of National Consciousness in India.” It is a subject of the greatest importance for the stability and progress of our country. It is also one of the toughest subjects ever confronted by a new nation. Efforts to resolve it constitute a most significant case history and experiment in democratic ideology. In fact, on the result of this experiment may well depend the success of democracy in India and other Asian countries which have similar language problems.