NEW DELHI, Sep 14: Union Home Minister Amit Shah highlighted that there is no competition between Hindi and other Indian languages. Instead, he described them as friends that complement each other, promoting unity and mutual growth.
In his message on Hindi Diwas, Shah emphasized that the essence of the Constituent Assembly was to encourage communication among citizens in any Indian language, be it Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, or Gujarati. “By strengthening Hindi, we also enhance all these languages, which will help advance our culture, history, literature, grammar, and traditions,” he said.
Shah noted that Hindi Diwas is particularly significant this year as it marks 75 years since the Constituent Assembly recognized Hindi as the official language of the Union on September 14, 1949. “Hindi has experienced many ups and downs over these 75 years, but it has always been a friend to all Indian languages,” he remarked. He further explained that every language, whether it’s Gujarati, Marathi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil, or Bangla, contributes to and benefits from Hindi.
Reflecting on the history of the Hindi movement, Shah pointed out that prominent figures such as Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Lala Lajpat Rai, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, and Acharya J B Kriplani, who were from non-Hindi-speaking regions, all supported Hindi. He also mentioned that the committee led by N Gopalaswamy Ayyangar and K M Munshi played a crucial role in recognizing Hindi as the official language.
Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, significant efforts have been made over the past decade to promote both Hindi and regional languages. Shah praised Modi for using Hindi on international platforms and for boosting national pride in Indian languages. The new education policy, which emphasizes primary education in one's mother tongue, has also revitalized Hindi and other Indian languages.
Shah highlighted the introduction of ‘Kanthasth,’ a tool developed to facilitate language translation. The government has also submitted four reports from the Parliamentary Official Language Committee and is working to establish Hindi more prominently in government operations.
The department of official language is developing a portal for quick translation of documents and speeches from Hindi into all languages listed in the Eighth Schedule using Artificial Intelligence. This initiative aims to strengthen both Hindi and local languages.
“Our languages are some of the richest in the world. Hindi unites us and enhances all our languages,” Shah concluded. He urged all citizens to pledge their support for Hindi and local languages on Hindi Diwas and to back the efforts of the department of official language.
