Union Home Minister Amit Shah observed that Hindi, Bengali and Kokborok are spoken fluently in Tripura and that there has never been any dispute over language in the state.
Addressing the Joint Regional Official Language Conference (Akhil Bharatiya Rajbhasha Sammelan) for the Eastern, North-Eastern, and Northern regions in Agartala on Friday evening, Shah termed the state as the sacred land of Mata Tripura Sundari.
He stated that the Tripura Sundari temple is not only a major attraction for Tripura or the North-East, but for the entire country.
He further said that whenever he faced difficulties in his life, he drew strength from Mata Tripura Sundari.
The home minister said that the foundation of the Hindi movement began during the time of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He explained that Swaraj stands for Swaraj, Swabhasha, and Swadharma.
Drawing inspiration from these ideals, he said that efforts were made to establish Hindi as the Rajbhasha (official language).
Shah said that no country’s own language should hold it back from development. “The easiest and most natural way for a child to express themselves is always through their mother tongue,” he said. He emphasised that more than 2,000 dialects are being preserved through the Devanagari script, and therefore, efforts must be made to protect and promote it.
He also highlighted that voice-based spectacles have been provided to visually impaired students, enabling them to study independently.
The Home Minister said that Tripura is an integral part of Ashtalakshmi, symbolising the cultural and developmental strength of the North-Eastern region. He mentioned that after Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014, the Centre has signed 21 agreements with the north eastern states and more than 11,000 youths have shunned violence to join the mainstream.
He noted that tourism and investment have grown significantly in the region, and that the Prime Minister has transformed the North-East from vivaad (conflict) to vikaas (development).
Shah further said the North-East is home to more than 200 languages and dialects, and that its true strength lies in its rich cultural wealth.
He said that the cultural wealth of India lies in the North-East.
He further said that Hindi and regional languages play a significant role in nation-building as well as in policy-making.
He said that Hindi was spread across the country through their music, by legendary singers and composers like Bhupen Hazarika, S. D. Burman, and R. D. Burman as well as by Zubeen Garg whose works carried Hindi to global audiences.
He added that scripts and languages are being designed for development and urged all parents to teach their children in their mother tongue; otherwise, they would be left behind in understanding their history, culture, and heritage.
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