[Letter to Mr Minoo Masani]

Summary

This letter from P. Kodanda Rao to Minoo Masani, dated 2 September 1974, encloses materials on public expenditure, Swiss constitutional arrangements, representative government, and the role of English in India. Rao asks Masani to examine his submissions and help prevent wasteful expenditure, particularly expenditure on government publications and language promotion. The enclosures include extracts from A. V. Dicey and Max Nordau, as well as Rao’s submission “English for Economy.”

In “English for Economy,” Rao argues that India’s financial constraints require a reassessment of spending on promoting Hindi and translating government publications into Hindi and regional languages. He contends that English provides wider access to knowledge and could serve national integration and international communication, while mother tongues should be supported principally for literary purposes. The other extracts contrast Switzerland’s stable, non-parliamentary executive with the instability and factionalism Rao associates with representative parliamentary government.

Key points

• Rao’s covering letter urges action against wasteful public expenditure and asks Masani to review enclosed submissions.
• The enclosures discuss the Swiss constitutional system, especially its elected but stable Federal Council.
• An extract from Max Nordau criticises representative government as rule by party leaders and narrow interests rather than by the public good.
• Rao’s “English for Economy” challenges government spending on Hindi promotion and multilingual translations.
• Rao presents English as a widely useful medium of access to scientific, educational, and international knowledge.
• The submission distinguishes practical language policy from literary support for Indian mother tongues.
• The documents frame fiscal restraint, constitutional design, education, and language policy as connected governance questions.