Agartala, Feb 20 — Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday urged citizens not to turn languages and scripts into political controversies, stressing that parents must speak to their children in their mother tongue to preserve literature, culture and history.
Addressing the Joint Regional Official Language Conference (Rajbhasha Sammelan) of the Eastern, North-Eastern and Northern regions in Agartala, Shah said children who fail to learn their mother tongue properly risk losing touch with their roots and traditions. He reiterated that the government has emphasised imparting primary education in students’ native languages.
Calling upon stakeholders in the Northeast not to politicise linguistic issues, Shah advocated the use of Nagari script for local languages to help safeguard linguistic identity. He noted that the eight Northeastern states are home to over 200 dialects, more than 50 festivals and rich cultural diversity. “Countries that have used their own languages in governance and education have progressed faster and more inclusively,” he said, adding that oral languages without scripts must also be preserved.
Dismissing criticism against Hindi, Shah asserted there is no conflict between Hindi and other Indian languages. He described the Northeast as an ideal region to strengthen Rajbhasha Hindi, praising Tripura’s multilingual culture where Bengali, Kokborok and Hindi are widely used.
Highlighting peace and development in the region, Shah said that since 2014, 21 peace accords have been signed and over 11,000 youths from extremist groups have joined the mainstream. “The Northeast once known for blockades is now witnessing tourism and investment growth,” he said.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha and other dignitaries attended the conference, where 80 Regional Official Language Awards for 2024-25 were presented. Over 3,000 delegates from more than 20 states participated in the event.
