supposed to be vulgar. In spite of this though the Lala Sahib (Kayasth) notices, one written in Urdu and the other in Hindi the proportion of the summonses issued by Collectors. The Bankers keep their account-books same letters. The Hindus speak Hindi in their families, and their women I am sorry to learn that the Honourable Sayyid Ahmad Khan, Bahadur, C.S.I. in his evidence before the Education Commission, says that Urdu is the language of the gentry and Hindi that of the vulgar. The statement is not only incorrect but unjust to the Hindus. With the exception of a few Kayasths, the remaining Hindus, e.g., Kshatriyas, mahajans, zamindars-nay, the revered Brahmins, who speak Hindi, are the contrary. If Urdu cease to be the court language, the Musalmans will not easily secure the numerous offices of Government, such as pesh- karships, serishtadarships, muharrirships, &c., of which at present they have a sort of monopoly. By the introduction of the Nagri character they would loose entirely the opportunity of plundering the world by reading one word for another and thereby misconstruing the real sense of the contents. The Persian Character particularly Shikast, in which at present the court business is carried on, is an unfailing source of income to mukhtars, pleaders and cheats. May god save us from such letters !!! What wonders cannot be performed through their medium ? Black can be changed into white and white into black. Writing, which is present a perpetual source of income to hangers-on of the court, will cease to fill their coffers if Hindi is introduced. Bombast and high-sounding Persina words which have never been heard of by landholders, cultivators and traders, are forced into composition purely with a view to yield a harvest to interbreters. If Hindi is introduced who will pay to four annas to learn the contents of a summons, or eight annas to one rupee for writing out a small petition ? How can then, a summons to give evidence be interpreted as a warrant of arrest? The use of Persian letters in office is not only an injustice to Hindus, but it is a cause of annoyance and inconvenience to the majority of the loyal subject of Her Imperial Majesty. Because Urdu is the language of the court, a few people are favourably impressed towards it. In all civilized countries the language spoken by the people and the character written by them are also used in the courts. This is the only country where the court language is a language which is neither the mother tongue of the ruler nor of the subject. If you send out two public people deciphering each can be easily known. Both rayats and zamindars have been heartily gratified at the introduction of Hindi letters in in Hindi. The private correspondence of the Hindi is carried on in the use Hindi characters. The patwari keeps his village papers in Hindi and the majority of the village schools teach Hindi. शिक्षा आयोग के समक्ष गवाही १०४७
