New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while addressing the inaugural session of the Official Language Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the fourth Akhil Bharatiya Rajbhasha Sammelan in New Delhi on Saturday, highlighted the significance of Hindi Diwas 2024, which marks 75 years since the Constituent Assembly of India adopted Hindi as the official language on September 14, 1949.
“This year’s Hindi Diwas holds special importance as we celebrate 75 years since Hindi was accepted as the official language of the Union,” HM Shah remarked.
“In essence, we are commemorating the diamond jubilee of our official language. This 75-year journey has been crucial for Hindi and the languages of all our states,” he said.
He emphasised the government’s efforts over the years to elevate Hindi and its connection with regional languages, stating, “For 75 years, we have worked to recognise Hindi as an official language and to link all regional languages with Hindi, thereby preserving and promoting our heritage, culture, languages, literature, art, and grammar.”
The Union Home Minister further declared, “As we reach this milestone, it seems we are close to achieving what we aimed for. Today, we reaffirm our resolve to make Hindi not only a language of communication but also a people’s language, a technical language, and an international language.”
Extending his congratulations to Hindi speakers, as well as those from other language backgrounds who support Hindi, HM Shah added, “There is no competition between Hindi and regional languages. Hindi is a friend to all regional languages, and they complement each other. Through the Indian Language Division, we are committed to strengthening the relationship between Hindi and regional languages.”
The Union Home Minister also mentioned historical context, referencing the 1857 revolt and its lack of a unifying language as one of the reasons it did not succeed.
He remarked, “India is a geo-cultural nation, not merely geopolitical. The common thread binding our nation is our shared culture.”
HM Shah highlighted the contributions of national leaders like Subhas Chandra Bose, Mahatma Gandhi, Lokmanya Tilak, and C. Rajagopalachari, whose native languages were not Hindi, yet who led the Hindi movement.
“They fought for the preservation and promotion of Hindi, which is a matter of pride and inspiration,” he said.
–IANS