Hyderabad: On September 14, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its push to promote Hindi, alleging that the move undermines India’s rich linguistic diversity.
KTR’s remarks underscore growing concerns about the potential impact of Hindi imposition on regional languages and cultural identities across the country.
KTR alleged that the Centre was trying to impose the language under the pretence of ‘amicable promotion.’ He further said that the attempt to promote Hindi exposes the BJP’s intent to undermine the country’s plurality.
“Why can’t our languages be respected and celebrated for the diversity they bring, why can’t for once BJP respect the cultural and linguistic fabric of India?” he asked.
He also questioned why the Union government is delaying the formation of the Parliamentary Committee on Official Languages.
On September 12, KTR raised concerns about the focus on promoting only Hindi, questioning Union home minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah. He emphasized the importance of linguistic diversity, warning that language chauvinism could be detrimental, stating that such an attitude “will be our bane.”
“Why exactly do we need increased Hindi acceptance @AmitShah Ji? Why not increased promotion of Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, Marathi, Oriya, Gujarati, etc? Hindi is one of the 22 official languages of India. Why only push Hindi? Linguistic diversity is one of the biggest strengths of India and language chauvinism will be our bane,” he said on X.
On September 9, Shah said there is a need to increase the acceptance of Hindi in the country without competing with other Indian languages.
Addressing the newly constituted Parliamentary Committee on Official Languages, Shah highlighted that the new education policy introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasizes primary education in the mother tongue. Shah argued that this approach helps children connect with multiple languages by providing a strong foundation in their native language.
According to an official statement, Shah said, “Without competing with any Indian language, we need to increase the acceptance of Hindi.”
He stated that Hindi is increasingly linked to employment and technology, with the Indian government making special efforts to integrate new-age technologies with Hindi. Shah added that the new education policy includes a resolution to promote all Indian languages, and the Parliamentary Committee on Official Languages will advance this initiative.
Shah stated that in the last 10 years, under PM Modi, the Parliamentary committee has worked continuously to ensure that Hindi complements rather than competes with local languages, fostering a cooperative relationship between them.
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