Updated: September 14, 2020 2:01:02 pm
Delivering a video speech on Hindi Diwas, Shah said: “The strengths of Hindi lie in its scientific nature, simplicity, easy understanding and acceptability.” (Archive)
Interior Minister Amit Shah on Monday pushed for increased use of Hindi by officials and young people, saying that India’s culture and value systems had remained protected mainly because of the language. He also emphasized that Hindi does not compete with any regional language. “Hindi has only complemented and strengthened other regional languages. It has never competed with any local language. It is important that this is clear to the entire country, ”said Shah.
Delivering a video speech on Hindi Diwas, Shah said: “The strengths of Hindi lie in its scientific nature, simplicity, easy understanding and acceptability. That is why in 1949 it was declared the official language of India. The unhindered flow of Indian culture, civilization and value systems has been kept alive and protected primarily by Hindi. “
Shah said that across a diverse India, Hindi was the most prominent among the regional languages to unite the nation. “Hindi along with Braj, Bundelkhandi, Awadhi, Bhojpuri and other languages are examples of how they have strengthened the diversity of India. Hindi has been a powerful means of national integration and pride since the fight for freedom, ”he said.
Shah suggested that the prominence of Hindi was enshrined in the Constitution. According to article 351, the prosperity of Hindi must be ensured by bringing with it other regional languages and their styles; where necessary, improving their vocabulary by accepting words mainly from Sanskrit and minimally from other languages, ”he said.
To ensure this constitutional responsibility, he added, it is important that official work be done in Hindi and then translated into other languages. “I urge senior officials from all central government ministries, departments and banks to use Hindi primarily in official work so that others will be inspired,” he said.
He also urged young people to speak in Indian languages and asked parents to promote regional languages while talking to their children. “It is important that the next generation receive most of their information in Hindi so that they are inspired to work primarily in Hindi,” Shah said.
एक देश की पहचान उसकी सीमा व भूगोल से होती है, लेकिन उसकी सबसे बड़ी पहचान उसकी भाषा है। भारत की विभिन्न भाषाएं व बोलियां उसकी शक्ति भी हैं और उसकी एकता का प्रतीक भी। सांस्कृतिक व भाषाई विविधता से भरे भारत में ‘हिंदी’ सदियों से पूरे देश को एकता के सूत्र में पिरोने का काम कर रही है।
– Amit Shah (@AmitShah) September 14, 2020
Monday’s speech could be seen as a rather toned down version of his latest speech on Hindi Diwas. His last speech, in 2019, had created considerable controversy by pushing the idea of ”One nation, one language.” In his last speech, Shah had said, “India is a country of different languages. Each language has its own importance. But it is absolutely essential that the entire country have a language that becomes the identity of the nation in the world. If there is any language that can unite the whole country in a single thread, it is the most widely spoken language of Hindi. “
The statement provoked strong reactions from opposition parties. While the CPM called it an attack on the basic principles of India’s diversity, the leader of the Karnataka Congress, Rajeev Gowda, reminded the BJP that Article 29 of the Constitution respects several languages.
In November last year, the Home Office even had to clarify in Parliament that it had no plans to promote Hindi as the primary language of India. To a question on the subject, MoS (Top) G Kishen Reddy replied in Rajya Sabha: “There is no proposal for a nation in one language.”
The MHA’s claim came against the background of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s repeated praise in various languages, particularly Tamil. In several of his speeches at the time, Modi had made a conscious effort to speak Tamil and reinforce the cultural motives of the region.
The promotion of Hindi as the national language of India is an old ideological project of the Sangh Parivar and the BJP. Unconditional loyalty to this ideological position has even proven to be an obstacle for the BJP to expand its influence in southern states that have strong roots and sentiments in the local language.
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