Hindi and regional languages are 'sisters', not rivals: Amit Shah in Tripura

Agartala, Feb 21: Union Home Minister Amit Shah today asserted that the promotion of Hindi does not undermine regional languages, but rather strengthens India’s linguistic diversity as a whole.

Addressing the Rajbhasha Sammelan here, Shah said that a false narrative had earlier been spread, suggesting that Hindi was being imposed on people. He noted that this misconception has been effectively dismantled over the past decade.

“There can be no dispute between Hindi and other local languages. They are sisters born of the same mother and have grown together,” he said, adding that neither language nor script should ever become a cause of conflict.

The Home Minister urged families to communicate with their children in their mother tongue at home, stressing that failure to do so would deprive future generations of the literature, traditions and cultural values embedded in native languages.

“Using our mother tongue at home is essential for preserving cultural identity,” he said.

Highlighting the North East’s transformation, Shah said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has led the region from an era of vivad (disputes) to vikas (development).

Since 2014, 21 peace accords have been signed with outlawed groups, and nearly 11,000 misguided youths have been brought back into the mainstream, significantly improving peace and stability, he said.

Addressing the conference attended by representatives from the Eastern, North Eastern and Northern regions, Shah emphasised that language should serve as a powerful instrument of development rather than dispute.

He specifically urged the North Eastern States, including Tripura, to preserve their indigenous languages through the Nagari script.

Underlining the importance of script in language conservation, Shah said that indigenous languages cannot be safeguarded through foreign scripts. Referring to Tripura, he observed that preservation efforts would be more effective and enduring if carried out using the Nagari script.

He added that several North Eastern States have already taken positive steps in this direction and called upon Tripura to arrive at a clear and unambiguous decision.

The Home Minister said that more than 2,000 languages across the country could be preserved through the Nagari script, particularly those that do not have their own scripts. Nagari can play a constructive role in the preservation, standardisation, and institutional development of such languages, he noted.

He urged policymakers, scholars, and administrators to take proactive steps for advancement of both official and local languages, highlighting their importance in governance and nation-building.

Reiterating that Hindi and regional languages are not in conflict, Shah said decades of propaganda against Hindi have created unnecessary apprehensions.

Describing Hindi and regional languages as “two sisters from the same mother”, he maintained that the growth of Hindi does not threaten local languages but can help expand their reach and foster mutual enrichment.

The conference was attended by Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha, and MPs Biplab Kumar Deb and Rajib Bhattacharjee, among others.