Amit Shah stresses cultural nationalism, promotion of Indian languages at Rajbhasha event
All political differences must be set aside to promote Indian languages,” Amit Shah said while asserting that a child can understand the country only through his or her mother tongue
Union Home Minister Amit Shah emphasized cultural nationalism and the promotion of Indian languages during the 6th All India Rajbhasha Sammelan on September 14, 2026. Shah stressed that cultural nationalism meant creating awareness about India's culture and history, asserting that while languages could have different voices, the national sentiment should remain one.
He highlighted how Bal Gangadhar Tilak's promotion of cultural nationalism through public festivals helped create a wave of patriotism during the freedom struggle.
Shah emphasized that the promotion of Indian languages was linked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pledge to free the country from the mindset of slavery. He addressed the importance of Hindi Shabd Sindhu, a dictionary that has grown from 51,000 words to eight lakh words and aims to become the world's largest by 2029. The dictionary has incorporated more than 50,000 words from Indian regional languages, making Hindi more flexible.
Maharashtra, with its multilingual culture, was cited as an example, with languages like Marathi, Konkani, Gujarati, Sindhi, Hindi, Kannada, and Warli spoken and developed there. Shah noted that Prime Minister Modi had accorded Marathi the status of a classical language and highlighted how Hindi should act as a means of communication and connection among India's languages.
Shah discussed the development of the multilingual translation tool Bharati and the setting up of Bharatiya Bhasha Anubhag. He invited elected representatives to communicate with the Centre in Marathi, assuring them of translation arrangements. Shah emphasized that the Union government aims to make Indian languages the language of governance and science, with examinations like IAS, IPS, JEE, NEET, and undergraduate exams being conducted in 13 languages.
The Home Minister highlighted that over five lakh Central government employees had undergone language training, and AI-based Kanthasth 2.0 was available to foreigners with over five crore sentences. The Rajbhasha Committee has prepared nine volumes, with five more to be dedicated during the Modi government's tenure. Shah mentioned the launch of several publications, including Rajbhasha Bharati, Vande Mataram Ke 150 Adhyay, and the introduction of the Hindi Shabd Sindhu digital resource, training in Hindi typing and shorthand, and Rajbhasha Kirti and Rajbhasha Gaurav awards.
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