Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Hindi Diwas delivered a virtual address stressing that the promotion of Hindi does not come at the cost of other Indian languages. Speaking on the occasion, Shah said that Hindi has absolutely no competition — no rivalry — with any other language spoken in India, and that the country's rich linguistic tapestry is its single biggest strength.
Shah highlighted that every language in India carries with it centuries of history, vibrant folk traditions, and unique cultural heritage. He cautioned against any attitude of linguistic arrogance or the perception that learning or promoting one language means diminishing another.
Addressing young Indians, he encouraged them to learn as many global languages as possible — English, French, Mandarin, and others — while firmly advising them not to abandon their mother tongue. "Your mother tongue is your identity," he remarked, urging parents to speak to their children in their native language at home so that the intergenerational transmission of language remains strong.
He also flagged the psychological dimension of language use, noting that no Indian should feel a sense of inferiority simply for speaking their regional or mother tongue. According to Shah, language is not merely a tool of communication but a vessel of civilisational memory, and every citizen should wear their linguistic heritage with pride.
The remarks came on Hindi Diwas, celebrated annually on September 14th to mark the adoption of Hindi as one of India's official languages by the Constituent Assembly in 1949. The day is observed across the country with cultural programmes, essay competitions, and debates on the role of Hindi in a multilingual nation. While some celebrate it as a proud assertion of India's largest spoken language, others view it through the lens of ongoing debates about linguistic equity and the status of non-Hindi languages in federal institutions.
Shah's speech sought to bridge both perspectives by positioning Hindi not as a competitor but as one thread in a much broader fabric.
