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Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday extended greetings on Hindi Diwas and said India's linguistic diversity is its greatest strength, adding that Hindi has played an important role in connecting different sections of society.
Shah said languages are not just a means of communication but also carry the history, traditions and identity of a society. He said that India's many languages represent its rich cultural heritage and help strengthen the spirit of "unity in diversity". "On the occasion of Hindi Diwas, I extend my heartfelt best wishes to all of you. Our country, India, is a unique land of linguistic diversity and cultural richness. People often speak of our languages being different, sometimes viewing this as a shortcoming; however, I believe that having such a multitude of languages is actually our greatest strength," Shah said in a video message. Each language carries with it a history, folk traditions, and a distinct worldview, all of which help shape the values of our younger generation. It is precisely this linguistic plurality that reinforces the spirit of 'unity in diversity' in India, he added. Highlighting the contribution of leaders who promoted Hindi despite not having it as their mother tongue, Shah said Swami Dayanand Saraswati, whose mother tongue was Gujarati, wrote 'Satyarth Prakash' in Hindi. He also recalled that Mahatma Gandhi established the Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha in Madras in 1918, while Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, a Bengali speaker, made Hindi the language of communication for the Indian National Army (INA) and gave the slogan 'Jai Hind'. Swami Dayanand Saraswati's mother tongue was Gujarati, yet he wrote 'Satyarth Prakash' in Hindi. Mahatma Gandhi established the Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha in Madras in 1918. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was a Bengali speaker, yet he made Hindi the language of communication for the Indian National Army and gave the country the slogan Jai Hind," he said. Thus, these great leaders made a significant contribution to making Hindi a language of communication across the country. Their contribution is a source of inspiration for all of us, despite Hindi not being their mother tongue, Shah said. Hindi Diwas, celebrated annually on September 14, marks the adoption of Hindi as one of India's official languages. The day highlights the language's role in bridging diverse linguistic and cultural communities across India. The Constituent Assembly on September 14, 1949, designated the Hindi language in the Devanagari script as the official language of the Union of India. (ANI)
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