New Delhi — Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday called for a collective national effort to promote and preserve Indian languages, urging political parties and leaders to set aside ideological differences for the common cause. Speaking at a Rajbhasha (official language) event, Shah emphasised that linguistic diversity is one of India's greatest strengths and that protecting it is essential to safeguarding the country's cultural identity.
Shah stated that every child in India should be able to understand the nation, its history, and its values in their own mother tongue. "A child cannot fully comprehend the essence of this country without connecting with it through their native language," he said, adding that the promotion of Indian languages goes hand in hand with the idea of cultural nationalism.
The Home Minister's remarks came against a backdrop of ongoing debates across the country regarding the status and role of Hindi alongside other major Indian languages. India's Constitution recognises 22 scheduled languages, and while Hindi in Devanagari script is designated as the official language of the Union government, several southern and eastern states have historically resisted what they perceive as the imposition of Hindi in administrative and educational spheres.
Shah's appeal for political unity on the issue of language promotion suggests the central government's intent to frame language advocacy as a non-partisan, culturally unifying mission rather than a politically contentious topic. He urged institutions, media, and civil society to play an active role in encouraging the use of Indian languages in everyday communication, governance, and digital spaces.
The event also highlighted the government's recent initiatives under the Rajbhasha policy, including the expansion of Hindi printing presses, digital content creation in Indian languages, and the introduction of Hindi as a subject in various educational curricula across states.
Language has long been a sensitive and emotive subject in Indian politics. From the anti-Hindi agitation in Tamil Nadu in the 1960s to contemporary debates over the National Education Policy's language provisions, the question of which language should dominate public life has frequently sparked strong reactions. Shah's intervention appears designed to reframe the conversation around appreciation and promotion rather than imposition, seeking broader acceptance across linguistic communities.
