Amit Shah said Hindi's progress is meaningful only when it goes hand in hand with the dignity, promotion and protection of India's other languages.
Shah described India's linguistic diversity as a strength and said every language carries its own history, traditions and worldview.
Hindi Diwas is observed on September 14 to mark the Constituent Assembly's 1949 adoption of Hindi in Devanagari script as the official language of the Union.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said the progress of Hindi is purposeful only when it moves forward while ensuring the dignity, promotion and protection of other Indian languages.
Congratulating people on the occasion of Hindi Diwas, Shah said India is a land of linguistic diversity and cultural prosperity and asserted that the country's many languages are its strength, rather than a drawback, according to PTI.
What Did Amit Shah Say On Hindi Diwas?
"Everyone says that our languages are diverse. That is our weakness. But I believe that our greatest strength is that we have so many languages," Shah said in a message.
He said every language brings with it a history, folk traditions and a view of life and contributes to shaping the values of the younger generation. "Our linguistic diversity strengthens the sense of unity in diversity in India," he said.
Shah said a language is not merely a medium of communication but the "memory" and "self-awareness" of a society.
Hindi, he said, has played an important role in connecting different sections and communities of the country as a language of dialogue, bond and coordination.
"The progress of Hindi is only purposeful when it moves forward while ensuring the dignity, promotion and protection of other Indian languages," Shah said.
What Is Hindi Diwas And Why Is It Observed?
He added that Hindi should not be viewed as a representation of any one language but as an important link between India's languages and national unity.
Shah said his own mother tongue is Gujarati, but Hindi enables him to connect directly with people in different parts of the country.
Hindi Diwas is observed every year on September 14 to mark the Constituent Assembly's adoption of Hindi in Devanagari script as the official language of the Union on September 14, 1949. Article 343 of the Constitution provides that Hindi in Devanagari script is the official language of the Union, while the constitutional framework also provides for continued use of English.
Shah also urged the youth to learn as much as possible from the world without abandoning their language and appealed to parents to speak to their children in their mother tongue.
"Language is what connects us to our mother, our soil, our history and our culture," he said.
Shah had said earlier that those who do not incorporate Swaraj, Swadharma and Swabhasha cannot free their future generations from slave mentality. He said that Swabhasha is included in the definition of Swaraj itself. He said that the country and people who cannot protect their languages get cut off from their history, literature, culture, and their future generations continue living with a slave mentality.
