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Union Home Minister Amit Shah said language never hindered his national responsibilities, despite growing up in Gujarat. He made the remarks at the 6th Akhil Bharatiya Rajbhasha Sammelan in Navi Mumbai on Hindi Diwas.
Shah highlighted Hindi’s contribution to national integration and praised Maharashtra’s rich multilingual heritage. He paid tribute to VD Savarkar and Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
Coinciding with Ganesh Utsav, the Minister greeted the nation and said Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles, would clear hurdles in developing Indian languages.
Shah recalled his time in Gujarat, where Gujarati dominates. He said his ability to understand and speak Hindi helped him work across India and serve nationally.
Shah described Savarkar as a freedom fighter, social reformer and accomplished linguist. He said Tilak promoted the purification of Marathi and introduced several words that gained acceptance in Marathi and other Indian languages.
The Home Ministry honoured Savarkar’s linguistic legacy through the Shabd Sindhu initiative. Shah called Maharashtra India’s most diverse multilingual state, citing Marathi, Konkani, Gujarati, Hindi, Sindhi and Warli. He said Marathi deserves immense respect and noted its classical language status granted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Citing Vinoba Bhave, Shah said Hindi helped spread the Bhoodan and Gramdan movements across Kashmir, Assam and Kerala. He credited Tilak’s 1893 Ganesh Utsav and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti with promoting cultural nationalism.
Shah highlighted Shivaji Maharaj’s vision of Swarajya, Swadharma and Swabhasha. He discussed Vande Mataram, the National Education Policy’s mother-tongue focus, and launched Hindi resource, shorthand and typing training initiatives. He felicitated Rajbhasha Kirti and Rajbhasha Gaurav award winners.
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