Amit Shah on Hindi Diwas: Respect All Indian languages

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday extended greetings on the occasion of Hindi Diwas and appealed to citizens to respect all Indian languages, calling them the foundation of India’s cultural and national unity.Shah said that from the Himalayas to the southern coasts, Indian languages have guided people through communication and expression, carrying forward culture, traditions, knowledge, and spirituality across generations. “Our country is fundamentally a language-oriented nation. Our languages have been a powerful medium for carrying forward history, science, philosophy, and culture,” he said.The home minister stressed that India’s linguistic diversity—ranging from Bihu songs in Assam, Oviyalu verses in Tamil Nadu, Lohri folk tunes in Punjab, to Kabir’s couplets and Surdas’s poetry—keeps the country’s culture vibrant and united. He also recalled how Indian languages played a key role during the freedom struggle by connecting people from villages and regions to the national movement.
On the importance of Hindi, Shah noted that the Constitution adopted it as the official language on September 14, 1949, and assigned the responsibility of promoting it under Article 351. He highlighted that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, Indian languages, including Hindi, have gained global recognition, with the Prime Minister using them at platforms like the United Nations, G20, and SCO.“In the Amrit Kaal of independence, languages are central to India’s journey towards becoming self-reliant, self-confident, and developed. Let us adopt Indian languages not just as a means of communication but as a cornerstone of education, science, technology, and administration,” Shah said.Marking 76 years of Hindi as the official language and 50 years of the Department of Official Language, Shah said the government has significantly promoted the use of Hindi in governance. He also underlined efforts to strengthen Indian languages in the era of Digital India, AI, and Machine Learning.Quoting Mithila poet Vidyapati, Shah said, “One’s own language is the sweetest,” and urged citizens to move forward together with mutual respect for all Indian languages to build a stronger and united India.