"Basis Of Cultural Consciousness, Unity": Amit Shah On Hindi Diwas

Over the years Hindi Diwas - celebrated September 14 - has become a thorny issue, with many states against what they see as imposition of the language

Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday - on the occasion of Hindi Diwas - pitched for the wider use of the language in the country and declared it to be "the basic basis of our cultural consciousness and national unity". Being 'Atmanirbhar' is not just about producing within the country, we've to be 'Atmanirbhar' even with languages. If PM can speak Hindi internationally, what are we embarrassed about? Gone are the days when speaking in Hindi was a matter of concern: Union Home Minister Amit Shah pic.twitter.com/pcyBigtiKA आप सभी को हिन्दी दिवस की ढेरों बधाई। हिन्दी को एक सक्षम और समर्थ भाषा बनाने में अलग-अलग क्षेत्रों के लोगों ने उल्लेखनीय भूमिका निभाई है। यह आप सबके प्रयासों का ही परिणाम है कि वैश्विक मंच पर हिन्दी लगातार अपनी मजबूत पहचान बना रही है। Mr Shah also linked Hindi - the use of which is a delicate subject given India is home to a myriad languages, each with rich spoken and literary traditions - to the government's grand plans for an 'atmanirbhar Bharat', or 'self-sufficient India'. He said an 'atmanirbhar Bharat' meant being 'atmanirbhar' with language, and "progress is contained in co-ordination of mother tongue and official language". "On the occasion of Hindi Diwas, I urge all countrymen to take a pledge to progressively use Hindi, which is one of the official languages, with their mother tongue in basic works. The progress of India is contained in the co-ordination of mother tongue and official language," Mr Shah's Hindi tweet read.