Hindi not a competitor but ‘friend’ of regional languages, says Shah

Stating that children should get school education in swabhasha (regional language) and rajbhasha (official language), Shah said, “On the occasion of Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav, let us take a vow that in the next 25 years, with the help of swabhasa, we can take country to greater heights. Hindi is not a competitor, but a friend to regional languages. Mahatma Gandhi had expressed his views on Hindi  in one sentence — ‘a nation is dumb without a national language’. Hindi is a language of our patriotism and a language of common man and we have to take it ahead.”

“With the prosperity of Hindi language all other regional languages will prosper and there is no competition among them,” he added.

Highlighting some of the decisions taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that emphasises on the importance of regional languages, the Union Minister said, “Modiji had introduced Rashtriya Siksha Niti 2020, and made provisions including providing primary education till class 5 or class 8 in mother tongue. Raj bhasha should be included in the academic curriculum. The PM had also mentioned that the study curriculum of medical science and engineering should also be done in Hindi or regional languages.”