Navi Mumbai, September 14 (Daily Kiran) : Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed his admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to Indian languages during a Hindi Day celebration in Navi Mumbai. Speaking on September 14, Fadnavis noted that hearing the Prime Minister speak Hindi on global platforms instills a sense of pride in the country.
The event, which also featured Union Home Minister Amit Shah, highlighted the importance of hosting such national conferences in Maharashtra. Fadnavis apologized for his late arrival and emphasized that these gatherings have evolved from mere formalities to significant events under Shah’s initiative to rotate them among various states.
Reflecting on the history of language policy, Fadnavis mentioned that even before Hindi and English were designated as official languages in 1963, Hindi was widely used in government affairs during the British era. He praised Modi for elevating the status of mother tongues and regional languages across the nation since taking office.
Fadnavis encouraged everyone to learn their mother tongue, stating that the new education policy (NEP) promotes education in local and other Indian languages. He recalled that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was among the first to deliver speeches in Hindi at the United Nations, and he acknowledged the contributions of author Munshi Premchand in making colloquial Hindi acceptable for official use.
During the conference, Home Minister Amit Shah stressed the importance of regional languages, asserting that Marathi deserves deep respect. He noted that Modi’s government granted Marathi classical language status.
Shah praised Maharashtra’s diversity, calling it India’s most multilingual state. Citing freedom fighter and social reformer Vinoba Bhave, he reflected on how using Hindi allowed him to spread the revolutionary message of land donation across villages in Kashmir, Assam, and Kerala. He emphasized that the official language enabled him to communicate with people nationwide.
Reiterating the government’s focus on language preservation through the NEP, Shah highlighted the necessity of foundational education in a child’s mother tongue for holistic development. He referred to Maharashtra as the land of Vinayak Savarkar, who was not only a freedom fighter but also one of the most knowledgeable linguists of his time. Savarkar’s efforts to purify the Marathi language and coin new words have been embraced by Marathi and other national languages.
To honor Savarkar’s linguistic legacy, Shah mentioned the Ministry of Home Affairs’ ‘Shabd Sindhu’ initiative.
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