Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha has said that protecting regional languages and promoting Hindi must move together, stressing that languages should serve as a bridge between people rather than create divisions.
He was speaking at the Eastern, North-Eastern and Northern Regional Rajbhasha Sammelan, inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the International Indoor Exhibition Centre in Hapania on Friday.
Saha said Tripura was chosen as the venue for the event due to the initiative of the Union Home Minister and expressed hope that the Sammelan would motivate stakeholders to strengthen linguistic harmony.
Emphasising the importance of language in governance, the Chief Minister said Hindi has played a significant role in improving communication between the government and the public. He maintained that while Hindi should continue to grow, regional languages must flourish alongside it.
"A widely understood language makes it easier to build a strong bond between the government and the people, and Hindi has played an important role in this. Government benefits must reach every citizen fairly so that everyone is equally covered. India is a land of many languages, and Hindi acts as a unifying link in the world’s largest democracy. At the same time, the preservation of local languages and the promotion of Hindi should go forward together," he added
Reframing his remarks, Saha said the objective is not to allow one language to dominate but to ensure that local languages remain vibrant even as Hindi expands its reach.
He further noted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is witnessing a renewed focus on the development of Indian languages and Sanskrit.
Highlighting linguistic diversity, Saha pointed out that Hindi has a vast vocabulary compared to English and said the National Education Policy 2020 has placed strong emphasis on promoting mother tongues in education.
"In Tripura, the number of people who can speak and understand Hindi has been steadily rising," he added.
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar, MPs Rajib Bhattacharya, Biplab Kumar Deb and Kriti Singh Debbarma, along with senior officials and public representatives, were present at the event.