Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday asserted that languages and scripts should not be politicised or turned into matters of controversy. Addressing the Joint Regional Official Language Conference in Agartala, he urged parents to ensure that children learn and speak their mother tongue to remain connected with their cultural roots, literature and history.

Speaking at the Rajbhasha Sammelan attended by officials from Northern, Eastern and Northeastern states, Shah emphasised that primary education should be imparted in students’ mother tongues. He warned that neglecting native languages could disconnect future generations from their traditions and heritage. He also advocated the use of ‘Nagari Lipi’ for local languages in the Northeast to help preserve linguistic identities.

Highlighting the cultural richness of the Northeastern region, Shah noted that it is home to over 200 dialects, more than 50 festivals, and numerous ethnic communities and art forms. He stated that nations which have successfully used their own languages in governance and education have achieved faster and more inclusive development. He also underlined the need to preserve oral languages that currently lack scripts.

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Dismissing criticism regarding Hindi, the Home Minister said there is no conflict between Hindi and other Indian languages. He observed that several prominent cultural figures from the Northeast gained national and global recognition by performing in Hindi, which provided them broader platforms. Shah added that although Hindi is not the primary language of his home state Gujarat, he adopted it for official communication.

Referring to reforms under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shah said that the government strengthened the Department of Official Language to expand the use of Hindi across the country. He also pointed to improved peace and stability in the Northeast, citing the signing of 21 peace agreements and the surrender of over 11,000 insurgents as milestones in the region’s transformation.

The conference saw participation from more than 3,000 officials and representatives across over 20 states. Around 80 Regional Official Language Awards for 2024-25 were presented to Central government offices, banks and public sector undertakings for exemplary implementation of the Official Language Policy, marking a significant step in promoting multilingual governance.

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