Oxford University Press (OUP) on Tuesday named ‘Samvidhaan’ (Constitution) the Oxford Hindi Word of 2019.Oxford University Press said ‘Samvidhaan’ means a “body of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organisation is acknowledged to be governed”.
They locked their decision witnessing the widespread attention that the word received in the year 2019 and it’s spirit being embraced by various segments of the society.
It said the word was chosen as it saw the values of democracy, secularism, justice, liberty, equality and fraternity being tested on the touchstone of the Constitution or ‘Samvidhaan.
August 2019 witnessed the abrogation of two key constitutional provisions – Article 370 and Article 35 (A) of the Indian Constitution, on August 5, which effectively removed the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir due to which the word “Samvidhaan” received widespread attention.
Some major decisions by the Supreme Court also significantly contributed to Samvidhaan’s prominence in 2019: the Sabarimala verdict, the floor test in Maharashtra and upholding of the order of the former Speaker of the Karnataka legislative assembly disqualifying 17 MLAs under the anti-defection law, an OUP statement said.
According to Kritika Agarwal, Hindi Language Champion for Oxford Languages, “The Hindi Word of the Year for 2019 is a fitting choice reflecting the mood of the masses as also the focus of the decision-makers… In 2019, the Constitution moved from being an academic concept to a movement in real-time.”
