Hindi has never had or ever will compete with any other Indian language: Amit Shah

On Hindi Diwas, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah highlighted the unifying role of Hindi in a nation known for its linguistic diversity. In a message to the citizens, Shah emphasized that Hindi neither has competed nor will compete with any other Indian language, as it played a significant role in fostering unity and progress.

India, a land of diverse languages and cultures, has always celebrated its linguistic richness. Hindi, as the most widely spoken language, has acted as a bridge, uniting people across the country.

The Home Minister reflected on the pivotal role of Hindi during the struggle for independence. In a nation fragmented by numerous languages and dialects, Hindi emerged as a unifying force, and helped connect the freedom movement across the country. The simultaneous movements for ‘Swaraj’ and ‘Swabhasha’ demonstrated the importance of Hindi in the fight for freedom.

Highlighting the significance of language in cultural expression, Amit Shah quoted renowned litterateur Harishchandra’s famous poem: “Nij bhasha unnati ahe”. He emphasized that the development of all Indian languages and dialects highlights the nation’s cultural heritage.

Shah praised the efforts of the Department of Official Language, Ministry of Home Affairs, in promoting Indian languages. Leveraging modern technology, the department aims to establish Indian languages as the language of public administration, education, and scientific discourse. Under the leadership of PM Modi, initiatives have been taken to ensure that public welfare schemes are effectively communicated in Indian languages.

The Parliamentary Committee on Official Language, responsible for reviewing the use of Hindi in government work, has presented its 12th volume of the report to the President, a testament to the government’s commitment to language promotion. Additionally, Town Official Language Implementation Committees (TOLIC) have been established both in India and abroad.

Amit Shah noted that the Department of Official Language has introduced a new tradition of organizing the ‘All India Official Language Conference’ aims to modernize the official language through the “Kanthastha” memory-based translation system and the “Hindi Shabd Sindhu” dictionary, enriched with words from Indian languages. Moreover, mobile apps like “e-Mahashabdkosh” and “e-Saral” dictionary have been developed to facilitate language learning.

In conclusion, Amit Shah expressed his belief that Hindi, with the acceptance of the people, will continue to evolve, achieve scientific and technological prominence, and emerge as a rich official language, contributing to India’s unity and cultural diversity.