‘Country that can’t protect its language, their future generation lives with slavery mindset’: Amit Shah on Hindi Diwas

New Delhi [India], September 14 (ANI): Emphasising the importance of preserving Hindi language on the occasion of ‘Hindi Diwas’, Union Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that a country or people who fail to protect their languages become disconnected from their history, and culture, and their future generations continue to live with the ‘mindset of slavery.’

He was addressing the inaugural session of the 4th Akhil Bharatiya Rajbhasha Sammelan in the national capital.

“Swaraj, Swadharma, and Swabhasha–those who do not encompass these three cannot free their future generations from slavery. Therefore, the essence of Swaraj inherently includes Swabhasha. A country or a people that cannot protect their languages becomes detached from their history, literature, and cultural values, and future generations continue with a mindset of slavery,” Amit Shah said.

Hindi Diwas is observed annually on September 14 to commemorate the decision to adopt Hindi as one of the nation’s official languages.

The Union Home Minister lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for emphasising on imparting primary education in the mother tongue in the New Education Policy.

“Thus, it is very important that even after 75 years of freedom, we continue to work with the principles of Swaraj, Swadharma, and Swabhasha as advocated by Shivaji Maharaj. This is why Modi ji has put emphasis on primary education in the new education policy, stressing that primary education should be in the mother tongue, and emphasis has also been given to impart primary education in the child’s mother tongue,” Shah said.

Shah also praised Prime Minister Modi for promoting the acceptance of Hindi on the world stage by speaking in Hindi at various international platforms.

“PM Modi has increased the acceptance towards Hindi by addressing the world in Hindi from various international platforms… When Atal Ji addressed the United Nations General Assembly in Hindi, the whole world was shocked. But today we have become a language of the UN and a second language in more than 10 countries. Hindi is on its way to becoming an international language,” Home Minister Shah said.

The Home Minister also stressed the importance of primary education in the mother tongue, saying children find it easiest to express themselves in their native language.

“I believe that if there is any language in which a child finds it easiest to talk and express himself, it is his mother tongue. The language of thinking is also his mother tongue. The processes of thinking, reasoning, analysing, and making decisions, which are crucial for a child’s development, are rooted in his mother tongue. That is why Modi Ji has emphasised the importance of education in one’s mother tongue,” he said.

He further said that Hindi and all regional languages complement each other. Shah added that to strengthen the relationship between Hindi and regional languages, literature, articles or speeches in any language will be translated into all Indian languages and vice versa.

“There can never be any competition between Hindi and regional languages because Hindi is a friend to all Indian languages. The question of competition does not arise because Hindi and all regional languages are complementary to each other. Therefore, we have decided to strengthen the relationship between Hindi and all regional languages. If any literature, article or speech is in Hindi, our official language section will translate it into all Indian languages. I believe this is the need of the hour,” Shah said.