Union Home Minister Amit Shah. File
| Photo Credit: ANI
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Thursday (June 19, 2025) that those who speak English in India would “soon feel ashamed” and that the creation of such a society was not far away. He added that without Indian languages, “we cease to be truly Indian”.Mr. Shah was heard making these comments at the launch of a book by former IAS officer Ashutosh Agnihotri. ANI had posted the video of the speech on its X handle, but later deleted it. Mr. Shah was heard saying, “In this country, those who speak English will soon feel ashamed — the creation of such a society is not far away. ““I believe that the languages of our country are the jewels of our culture. Without our languages, we cease to be truly Indian.”Will run India in own languages: ShahMr. Shah further said that “our culture, our history, and our religion cannot be understood in foreign languages”. “With self-respect, we will run our country in our own languages and lead the world too,” he added.OPINION | Shed the myopia, refocus on the relevance of EnglishInvoking the ‘Panch Pran’ (five pledges) envisioned by PM Modi for Amrit Kaal, Mr. Shah said it has now become the resolve of 130 crore people. During the Independence Day speech in 2022, when India was celebrating its 75 years of Independence, Mr. Modi spelled out five pledges — a resolve of a developed India; removing any trace of the colonial mindset; taking pride in our legacy; our strength of unity; and fulfilling the duties of citizens with honesty.Earlier this month, Mr. Shah launched the Bharatiya Bhasha Anubhag (BBA), or Indian Languages Section, to provide an organised platform for all Indian languages to move towards “freeing the administration from the influence of foreign languages”.Mr. Shah’s comments come at a time when several State governments and regional parties have accused the Centre of Hindi imposition through the three-language formula in the National Education Policy. The Maharashtra Government’s decision to adopt a three-language formula for classes 1 to 5 also drew flak from Marathi groups.Non-Hindi-speaking States, such as Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, have witnessed protests against the imposition of Hindi. The Tamil Nadu Government opposed the three-language formula in the National Educational Policy (NEP), claiming it was only to bring Hindi in the State “through backdoor“.The Union Government has, however, repeatedly refuted these claims and has maintained that it is keen on promoting “all Indian languages“. During the Budget Session, Mr. Shah told the Rajya Sabha that his Ministry would communicate with States in their languages. Published - June 19, 2025 03:32 pm IST
