The first lexicon, published by the Directorate of Languages of the Gujarat government, now in its second and latest edition, dated 1989, is an official publication. But the Vidyapith's is considered by many to be the most authentic Gujarati dictionary. The definition has been there since the Twenties when Kashmir was, in fact, a princelyState. Though both dictionaries have been revised several times since then, Kashmir's accession to India in 1947 was apparently not significant enough to merit a change in the definition. State Director of Languages P Gadhvi, however, sees nothing wrong: ``The word `country' can also be used for a State.'' P Upadhyay, honorary acting head of the kosh section, responsible for revising and editing the Vidyapith dictionary, also defends the use of desh, instead of pradesh. She says it is colloquially acceptable. Gujarati scholars and linguists, however, buy none of this. They are particularly unhappy with the Vidyapith because its name carries prestige and authenticity. After all, its first three chancellors formed Gujarat's reigning trinity: Gandhi, Patel and Morarji.

``This is the height of irresponsibility,'' says D M Joshi, who has been campaigning for a reform in the language. ``The Vidyapith does not entertain any questions regarding use of certain Gujarati phrases, but has been sitting on this gravemistake for half a century now.''

Remarks Uttam Gajjar, another linguist: ``These people have been sleeping over the error for 70 years. That is simply unpardonable.'' And the president of the Surat-based Narmad Sahitya Sabha, Jayant Pathak, calls it ``a blunder, a very serious blunder. I possibly cannot gather any meaning of the word `country' other than an independent sovereign state.''