Gandhinagar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday called for expanding the role of Hindi beyond being just a medium of communication and official work, saying it should become the language of science, technology, law, justice, and police administration. Shah made the remarks while addressing the Fifth All India Official Language Conference on the occasion of Hindi Diwas.

Shah said that conducting all official and technical work in Indian languages helps strengthen the bond with the masses. He urged that Hindi’s scope should not remain limited to paperwork but extend to critical sectors like science and law. “Hindi should be the language of science, technology, law, justice, and police,” he said.

The Home Minister invited all Chief Ministers to write to the Union Home Ministry in their mother tongue, assuring them that replies would be sent in the same language.

He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for encouraging the use of technology to promote regional languages and noted that the establishment of the Bharatiya Bhasha Anubhag (Indian Languages Section) has elevated the Department of Official Language to a comprehensive department.

Reiterating that Hindi is not a competitor but a friend to other Indian languages, Shah highlighted the Sarthi software, which enables seamless translation between Hindi and other Indian languages.

He praised Gujarat as an example of coexistence and growth between Gujarati and Hindi and cited leaders like Dayanand Saraswati, Mahatma Gandhi, and Sardar Patel for promoting Hindi across India.

Shah further said that Hindi has played a significant role in uniting India linguistically and enhancing public communication. Citing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, he emphasized the importance of “Swaraj, Swadharm, and Swabhasha” (self-rule, self-religion, and self-language) as key pillars of national pride.

The Home Minister also urged parents to encourage children to learn in their mother tongue, saying students lose nearly 30% of their learning capacity if taught in a foreign language. He hailed Sanskrit as the source of Indian knowledge and credited Hindi for spreading that knowledge to every household.

In a video message on X (formerly Twitter), Shah said the last decade under PM Modi has marked a “golden era of renaissance” for Indian languages, with PM Modi using Hindi and regional languages on global platforms like the UN, G20, and SCO, thereby boosting India’s cultural pride.

He added that in the “Amrit Kaal” of independence, PM Modi’s Panch Pran pledge aims to eliminate symbols of colonial rule, where the adoption of Indian languages plays a crucial role.

Shah concluded by noting that Hindi has completed 76 years as India’s official language, and the Department of Official Language, now 50 years old, has made commendable efforts to bring Hindi into the public consciousness.