After mounting criticism over his remarks on Hindi language, Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday issued a clarification claiming that he had only pitched for learning Hindi as a second language, in addition to a person's mother tongue.
As the language wars appeared to raise their head once again, Shah also rued the politics over his comments on Hindi and said that he hailed from a non-Hindi speaking state himself.
“A child's growth can be best achieved if he studies in his mother tongue, and mother tongue does not mean Hindi. But there should be one language in the country – should you choose to learn a second language – then learn Hindi. This is the appeal I made (on Hindi Divas). What is wrong in this, I fail to understand,” Shah said at a function in Ranchi.
The Home Minister stressed on the need to strengthen local languages, failing which they risk being extinct like has been the case in New Zealand and Australia.
"One has to listen to my speech carefully. If someone wants to do politics, it is their choice," Shah said when pointed out that his remarks had sparked outrage in southern states.
Shah's comments on Saturday, seen as pitching for one language for the country, sparked outrage, prompting Tamil parties to launch an agitation on September 20 to “denounce the imposition of Hindi by the Modi government”.
On the occasion of Hindi Divas on September 14, Shah tweeted “I appeal to all citizens of our country to increase the use of their mother tongue but also use Hindi to make the dream of Bapu (Mahatma Gandhi) and Sardar (Vallabhbhai) Patel of one language come true”.
"India has many languages and every language has its importance. But it is absolutely necessary that the entire country should have one language that becomes India's identity globally," he had said at a function to celebrate Hindi Divas.
DMK leaders and cadre will hit the streets on September 20 to protest against the BJP Government’s move to impose Hindi on those speaking other languages.
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, who is lodged in Tihar jail in connection with a money-laundering case, urged the Tamil Nadu unit of the Congress party to join the DMK in protests against the imposition of Hindi.
“A dangerous idea that Hindi alone can unite the people of this country has been floated. The Tamil people, as well as all others who speak other languages, will never allow the imposition of Hindi,” Chidambaram said on Twitter.