Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed the Hindi Diwas 2026 and the 6th All India Official Language Conference held in Navi Mumbai on Monday, September 14. During his comprehensive address, he emphasized that Hindi serves as the primary carrier of the country's linguistic unity and national consciousness. He spoke extensively about the significance of India's regional languages and mother tongues, alongside the historical importance of Vande Mataram. Shah asserted that a child can truly understand the essence of India only through their mother tongue, and any attempt to understand the nation through a foreign language would lead to misconceptions.
Vande Mataram: The Foundation of Cultural Nationalism
Amit Shah remarked that Vande Mataram isn't merely a song but was a monumental effort by Rishi Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay to awaken the Indian consciousness during a period of intense colonial slavery. He noted that through his poetry, Bankim Chandra worked to stir the dormant consciousness of the nation. This song, which was originally written in the novel Anand Math, quickly transformed into a proclamation of freedom across the entire country. Shah stated that he has no hesitation in saying that Bankim Chandra, through the proclamation of Vande Mataram, not only ignited the longing and intense desire for independence but also laid the foundation for India's cultural nationalism.
The Home Minister further pointed out that Vande Mataram had been fragmented over time. He mentioned that even after independence, it took the country's Parliament 80 years to fully accept its complete form. He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for being the leader who restored Vande Mataram to its full form and dignity, ensuring its inclusion in official government ceremonies. This follows his previous remarks in Mumbai where he stated that there had been historical attempts to destroy India's vast knowledge systems.
The Role of Mother Tongue in Education and Identity
Amit Shah highlighted that the makers of the Constitution made a well-thought-out decision to accept Hindi as the official language. He noted that since Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, the Department of Official Language has achieved numerous milestones. According to Shah, one of the most significant steps taken by the current government is making the learning of the mother tongue mandatory in primary education under the New Education Policy. He argued that a child can't become a great individual without learning their mother tongue, as the nuances of a mother's affection and a sister's love can't be fully understood without it.
He emphasized that a person's connection to their land, language, religion, traditions, culture, and values is established primarily through the mother tongue. Addressing those who create disputes between different languages, Shah asserted that a child can only understand India in their mother tongue. He warned that if a child tries to understand India through a foreign language, they will make mistakes in their understanding of the nation's core values. Because of this, he urged all citizens to set aside political differences and focus on promoting and strengthening Indian languages.
Reference to Rabindranath Tagore and the Five Pledges
The Home Minister also referred to the Panch Pran or the five pledges that the Prime Minister placed before the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort. One of these critical pledges is the liberation from a colonial mindset. Shah invoked the words of Kaviguru Rabindranath Tagore, stating that there is no greater figure when it comes to the philosophy of languages. He shared a quote from Tagore, comparing Indian culture and literature to a fully developed hundred-petaled lotus, where each petal represents a regional language. Shah noted that if even one petal is destroyed, the beauty and splendor of the entire lotus are lost, emphasizing the need to protect every regional language.