NEW DELHI: Union home minister Amit Shah, addressing the fourth Akhil Bhartiya Rajbhasha Sammelan on Hindi Diwas, said that Hindi and other Indian languages are not in competition but are complementary to one another. Shah stated that the promotion of Hindi can only occur when all Indian languages are strengthened, as they support and enhance each other.
"There can never be a competition between Hindi and local languages because Hindi is a friend to all. They complement each other, and we must strengthen this relationship," Shah said during his speech.
The event, which also marked the Diamond Jubilee celebration of 75 years of Hindi as the official language, saw Shah highlighting the importance of Hindi in preserving India’s cultural and linguistic diversity. "By accepting Hindi as the official language and connecting all local languages through it, we are promoting our culture, literature, and art," he said.
Shah called for Hindi to become not just a national communication tool but also a global language. He noted that all official communication within the Home and Cooperation Ministries is now conducted in Hindi — a milestone achieved after three years of efforts.
Reflecting on the historical significance of Hindi Diwas, Shah recalled that Hindi was adopted as the Union's official language on September 14, 1949, and stressed that the language is now in its final stages of achieving its objectives of becoming a widely-used communication and technical language.
Touching upon the New Education Policy, Shah praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's focus on providing primary education in children’s mother tongues. He argued that this is the easiest way for children to learn and develop critical thinking skills.
Shah also highlighted progress in making medical education available in Hindi in states like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, with similar plans for engineering curricula in 13 Indian languages.
During the event, Shah released Hindi Kahavat Kosh, a book by Sharad Agrawal that compiles over 10,000 Hindi proverbs. Agrawal’s work also extends to a website aimed at providing health information in simple Hindi.
In a video message, Shah reiterated the importance of strengthening Hindi alongside regional languages, stating that by doing so, all languages will prosper and help preserve India’s cultural heritage. He credited Prime Minister Modi’s leadership for promoting Hindi on global platforms and fostering pride in the country’s diverse languages.