New Delhi, June 26 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Thursday that shedding the Colonial mindset requires thinking, analysing, and making decisions in Indian languages, especially the official ones, which are the soul of the nation.

Speaking at the Golden Jubilee of the Official Language Department, HM Shah said, “Unless people take pride in their own language, express themselves in their own language, and develop the ability to think, analyse, and make decisions in their own language, we cannot truly be free of the Colonial mindset.”

“This is not about opposing any language, including foreign languages, and we should not oppose them. But we must take pride in our own languages. We must speak, think, and honour our languages,” he said.

Hitting out at an unsuccessful attempt over the decades to divide the nation on linguistic lines, HM Shah said, “We will ensure that languages serve as a powerful medium to unite the nation and the Language Department will play a meaningful role in this direction.”

HM Shah underscored the government’s efforts to promote Indian languages and said national-level admission exams like NEET, JEE and CUET are now conducted in 13 languages, along with use of these languages in recruitment drives of Central Armed Police Forces.

Highlighting the uniting spirit of Hindi, he said, “It is my firm belief that Hindi is a friend of all other languages and it cannot be any other language’s adversary. Hindi and our regional languages together are the key to promoting our programme of self-esteem and national pride.”

The department will help states so that the communication between the Central government is done only in Indian languages, he said.

The foundation being laid under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047 will see Indian languages playing an important role in development of national pride, he said.

“PM Modi has stressed on ridding the nation of Colonial mentality and Indian languages are the best medium to revive and celebrate our heritage and legacy while moving in the direction of building a Viksit Bharat,” he said.

–IANS

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