Use Of Indian languages Very Important To Awaken Self-Esteem Of Country: Amit Shah

Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday (26 June) advocated for the promotion of Indian languages in governance to foster national unity, reported The Times Of India.

He stated that the government is committed to ensuring that India's diverse languages become a powerful medium to connect people, unlike past decades when efforts focused on using language to divide the country.

Speaking at the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Department of Official Language, Shah emphasised that governance must be conducted in local languages for the country to move forward with self-respect, based on its culture.

He said that the objective of establishing the Department of Official Language was to ensure that the governance of the country is run in the language of its citizens and that the use of Indian languages in administration awakens the nation’s self-respect.

He linked this to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Panch Pran" — specifically the resolve to break free from the slavery mindset — asserting that it can only be fulfilled only if a person takes pride in his own language and develops an ability to express, think, analyse and make decisions in that language.

Shah urged increased use of Indian languages in government work at both central and state levels, promising the Central government's support to states in this endeavour.

He argued that our roots, traditions, history, identity and cultural way of life cannot progress if they are disconnected from language.

Shah highlighted the Modi government's initiatives to honour Indian languages, including recognizing Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali as classical languages.

He noted an unprecedented boost for Indian languages in technology, education, and administration, encouraging states to offer medical and engineering education in local languages.

"New Education Policy-2020 emphasizes teaching in mother tongues up to Classes 5 and 8 and that 95 per cent of Central armed police force constable applicants now take exams in their mother tongue," he said.

Furthermore, Shah mentioned 'Ek Bharat, Shreshta Bharat' programme like Kashi-Tamil Sangamam and Bhasha Sangam, where schools teach students 100 common sentences in 22 constitutional languages. He praised the 'Hindi Shabdsindhu' initiative for enriching the official language and the Bharatiya Bhasha Anubhag for facilitating translations between Hindi and other official languages, improving Centre-state coordination.

Also Read : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Was Right To Reject SCO Statement Without Terror Reference: S Jaishankar