Every student should learn one additional Indian language: Amit Shah
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Kolkata: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday urged students to learn at least one additional Indian language besides their mother tongue to better understand the country's linguistic diversity and cultural heritage.
Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the Museum of Word at the National Library campus in Kolkata, Shah said India's linguistic diversity reflects its rich heritage and that language is the key to understanding a nation's culture.
“The language diversity in India carries the rich heritage of the country. Only through language can one understand a nation's culture. Hence, it is necessary for every student to learn at least one additional Indian language besides his or her own mother tongue,” he said.
Shah described the Museum of Word as a new feather in Kolkata's crown and said its largest gallery, the Timeline of Languages, showcases the evolution of 22 Indian languages.
He noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the creation of the museum in 2020 and that it has been developed according to his vision and directions.
“There is no place for narrow-mindedness in our country. Narrow-mindedness cannot be the identity of Indian culture. We cannot create obstacles in anyone's way of judging,” the Union Home Minister said.
Also present at the event was West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who said the current Union government is placing special emphasis on restoring the Bengali language to its full dignity and promoting its recognition globally.
The first phase of the museum, being developed under the Union Ministry of Culture, has been completed at a cost of around Rs 14 crore. The total cost of the project is estimated at about Rs 41 crore.
The museum features nine galleries, each presenting the history of Indian languages from a different perspective. These include preserved words, ancient manuscripts, inscriptions, documents tracing the evolution of various scripts, and interactive digital presentations on language development.
Visitors will be able to explore thousands of years of linguistic evolution under one roof.
According to government sources, the Museum of Word is intended not only as a language preservation initiative but also as a permanent record of India's multilingual cultural heritage. It also aims to promote the message of equal status and wider recognition for every language in the country, including Bengali.
With IANS inputs