Agartala, February 22: Leader of Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury strongly condemned reported remarks by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on language and script, terming them a direct assault on the cultural identity of the Northeast.
Speaking at the Communist Party of India (Marxist) office during the observance of International Mother Language Day on Saturday, Chaudhury alleged that any move to compel nearly 40 languages of the region to adopt the Devanagari script would amount to cultural domination. He asserted that linguistic diversity is a cornerstone of India’s pluralistic identity and must be preserved at all costs.
Recalling his tenure as a Member of Parliament, Chaudhury said he had served on the official languages committee and was well aware of the sensitivities surrounding language policy. He emphasized that the choice of script should remain entirely with the people who speak the language. “This is nothing but an attack on linguistic diversity,” he said, accusing the Union Home Minister of promoting what he described as an RSS-driven mindset.
Chaudhury maintained that communities must retain full autonomy over their mother tongues, including the right to determine their script and linguistic traditions. He warned that imposing a uniform script on diverse languages could erode cultural heritage and marginalize smaller linguistic groups across the Northeast.
The controversy follows Shah’s inauguration of the Eastern, North-Eastern and Northern Regional Rajbhasha Sammelan at Hapania a day earlier. Chaudhury’s strong reaction has brought the issue of language rights to the forefront of Tripura’s political discourse, intensifying debate over cultural identity, federal principles and the protection of regional languages.
