NEW DELHI, Sep 14: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said the progress of Hindi would be meaningful only if it goes hand in hand with the dignity, promotion and protection of other Indian languages.
In a message on the occasion of Hindi Diwas, Shah said India’s linguistic diversity was a source of strength and reflected the country’s rich cultural heritage.
“Everyone says that our languages are diverse. That is our weakness. But I believe that our greatest strength is that we have so many languages,” he said.
Shah said every Indian language carries its own history, folk traditions and worldview, contributing to the values and outlook of younger generations.
“Our linguistic diversity strengthens the sense of unity in diversity in India,” he said, adding that language is not merely a medium of communication but also the “memory” and “self-awareness” of a society.
He said Hindi has played an important role in connecting different sections and communities across the country by serving as a language of dialogue, bonding and coordination.
“The progress of Hindi is only purposeful when it moves forward while ensuring the dignity, promotion and protection of other Indian languages,” Shah said.
He stressed that Hindi should not be seen as representing any one particular language, but as an important link among India’s languages and a means of strengthening national unity.
Shah noted that Gujarati is his mother tongue, but Hindi enables him to communicate directly with people across different parts of the country.
He also urged young people to learn from the world while remaining connected to their own languages and appealed to parents to speak to their children in their mother tongue.
“Language is what connects us to our mother, our soil, our history and our culture,” he said.
Hindi Diwas is observed every year on September 14 to commemorate the adoption of Hindi as an official language by the Constituent Assembly on September 14, 1949.
