Shah: Hindi Is Not A Threat To Native Tongues

New Delhi:Union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday said that Hindi is not opposed to any Indian languages; rather, it is a companion to all. Speaking at the golden jubilee celebrations of the official language department of the central government in the national capital, Mr Shah said the state governments should take the initiative to impart medical and engineering education in the local language. He also said there should be no opposition to any foreign language in the country either.

Extending greetings to all the well-wishers of the official language Hindi, the Union home minister congratulated the admirers of Indian languages across the country on the golden jubilee year of the department. "The central government is committed to ensuring that all Indian languages, including Hindi, evolve as powerful instruments to strengthen national unity and development," he added.

"I sincerely believe that Hindi cannot be virodhi (opposed) to any Indian language. Hindi is a sakhi (companion) of all Indian languages," Mr Shah said.

The Union home minister also expressed satisfaction that now the written tests for the recruitment of the constables in the Central Armed Police Forces are being conducted in 13 Indian languages apart from Hindi and English.

Asserting that Hindi and other Indian languages together can take the self-esteem of the country's culture to its final destination, Mr Shah said that everyone should get rid of the slavery mentality.

“Until a person takes pride in his own language or does not express himself in his language, that person cannot be free from the mentality of slavery,” he noted.

“There is no opposition to any language. There should not be any opposition to any foreign language. But there should be an urge to glorify one's own language. There should be an urge to speak one's own language… There should be an urge to think in one's own language," Mr Shah said.

The Union home minister also said that as far as the country is concerned, language is not just a medium of communication, it is the soul of a nation.

"It is important to keep Indian languages alive and enrich them. We should make all efforts in the coming days for all Indian languages, especially for the official language," the Union minister said.

Mr Shah asserted that in the past few decades, some efforts were made to create divisions in the country over language issues. However, the government is committed to ensuring that all Indian languages, including Hindi, evolve as powerful instruments to strengthen national unity and development.

The Union home minister also mentioned that technical education has been introduced in 12 Indian languages in the country and the Madhya Pradesh government has started medical education in Hindi and hoped that other states will also prepare their medical education curriculum in their respective languages to facilitate for their children.

Mr Shah said when India will celebrate the centenary of its Independence, the name of the official language will be inscribed in golden letters in the history of all the efforts made for the reawakening of India's pride.