This book attempts to deal with the old and yet very modern problem of different scripts for different languages. However, it is concerned with one people - the variegated people who make up the multilingual republic of modern India, with all its requirements for developing into an upto-date commercial and industrial power centre. Starting from the very beginnings of script in Egypt and Sumer, the book deals with the fascinating evolution and spread to South Asia of various scripts and their mutual influences on each other through the ages. It explains the biologic and phonetic bases of vowels and consonants. The Indian reader is likely to be surprised to learn about the decisive role of Sanskrit and of the great grammarian Panani in the story of the scripts and languages unfolds. In the end, author offers practical conclusions for a transliteration of traditional Indian scripts and symbols into simpler and computer-feasible Roman scripts which would enable an average Indian to read messages and sign-boards in various Indian languages without necessarily knowing them.

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