Union home minister Amit Shah said Hindi should be accepted as the official language of India, adding that acceptance should come from goodwill without the opposition.
Addressing the 38th meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Official Language on Friday, August 4, Shah referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s last year’s Independence Day speech in which he had mentioned ‘panch pran’ (five vows) for India’s development. “For 100% implementation of these ‘pran‘, all the Indian languages and the official language will have to show their strength,” Shah said.
Shah said that respect for heritage is incomplete without respect for language and acceptance of the official language will come only when everyone will give respect to local languages. He said there is a need to develop acceptance for the official language without any kind of opposition even if its pace is slow.
“Hindi is not in competition with local languages, the nation will be empowered only by promoting all Indian languages. PM Modi has taken the initiative to start engineering and medical courses in 10 languages and soon these courses will be available in all Indian languages. That moment will mark the beginning of the rise of local languages and official languages,” he said.
It is to be noted that Hindi is listed as one of the official languages in the Indian Constitution along with English.
Tamil Nadu is not a puppet, says CM Stalin
Responding to Shah’s comments on Hindi to be accepted by all without opposition, Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin retorted, saying the Dravidian state was not a puppet.
Mentioning West Bengal, Karnataka as few states who have opposed Hindi imposition in the past, Stalin cautioned the Union home minister not to ‘recreate the language revolution of 1965’.
“I strongly denounce Union Home Minister @AmitShah‘s audacious push for Hindi acceptance. It’s a blatant attempt to subjugate non-Hindi speakers. Tamil Nadu rejects any form of Hindi hegemony and imposition. Our language and heritage define us – we won’t be enslaved by Hindi! Many states like Karnataka, West Bengal also have been vehemently resisting #HindiImposition. Hon’ble @AmitShah, please take heed of the growing resistance! Igniting the embers of the ‘1965 Anti-Hindi Imposition Agitations’ would be an unwise move,” he tweeted.
