Amit Shah Advocates for Multilingualism While Upholding the Mother Tongue

On Hindi Diwas, Union Home Minister Amit Shah emphasized the importance of learning multiple languages while preserving one's mother tongue. Highlighting language's role in cultural preservation, Shah discussed recent initiatives to shed colonial legacy. He called for parental support in fostering mother tongue communication among children.

On the occasion of Hindi Diwas, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday accentuated the significance of mastering numerous languages, while underscoring the necessity of preserving one's mother tongue. Shah commemorated September 14, 1949, when the Constituent Assembly declared Hindi as India's official language, noting its cultural and self-respect preservation roles.

Addressing the nation through a video message, Shah explicated that post-independence India encountered a paradox: while political sovereignty was achieved, linguistic and cultural matters were marginalized. From the Red Fort, Prime Minister Modi had urged severance from colonial legacies, spotlighting language as a pivotal liberation factor. Initiatives like renaming Rajpath to Kartavya Path and instituting new citizen-centered laws signify moves to reclaim national pride.

The renaming of Rajpath transcended a superficial rebranding; it coincided with the establishment of three vital laws — the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam — replacing archaic British statutes and restoring dignity. Shah urged parents nationwide to engage with their offspring in their mother tongue, highlighting its intrinsic connection to familial, cultural, and historical roots, while advocating linguistic diversity without forsaking native languages.