Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday emphasized the need for national harmony in the face of increasing tensions regarding language issues across the country.
Addressing just before the Monsoon Session of Parliament, Dhankhar hailed India's linguistic diversity as unmatched on the world stage.
"India has a treasure of languages—Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, Marathi. We even have classical languages. Lingustic diversity-wise, we have no match at all," he averred.
Dhankhar believed that language must be a force of integration, not discord. "So, how can language be a source of conflict? Language must unite us. People who advocate conflict on the basis of language must reflect deeply about our cultural heritage. Our languages transcend national boundaries and are known across the world," he continued.
His statement occurs at a time when language policy tensions have heightened in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka states.
In Maharashtra, the state government recently withdrew its decision to introduce Hindi as a third language from Class 1 in government schools. The decision had triggered a backlash with opponents maintaining that it was an attempt to undermine Marathi identity. The controversy blew up into a cultural flashpoint with some political parties threatening to issue warnings against Hindi usage in the state.
At the same time, the Tamil Nadu government has charged the central government with upholding "Hindi imposition" in the National Education Policy (NEP), a contentious issue in the state's political history.
While arguments regarding linguistic identity and policy go on increasing, Dhankhar's appeal for harmony and cultural respect is an attempt to redirect attention towards the spirit of inclusiveness of India's pluralistic heritage.
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