Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the Joint Regional Official Language Conference (Rajbhasha Sammelan) for the Eastern, North-Eastern and Northern Regions in Agartala on Friday. The conference was organised by the Department of Official Languages.
Addressing the conference, the Union Minister asserted that in Tripura, all three languages – Hindi, Bengali and Kokborok – are spoken fluently and there has never been any conflict over language issue in the state. He said that this is the sacred land of Mata Tripura Sundari. He said, it is not only a major attraction for Tripura or the North-East, but for the entire country. The Union Minister said that whenever he faced difficulties in his life, he drew strength from Mata Tripura Sundari. He reiterated that the foundation of the Hindi movement began during the time of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He explained that Swaraj stands for Swaraj, Swabhasha and Swadharma.
The Union Minister emphasized that more than 2,000 dialects are being preserved through the Devanagari script and therefore, efforts must be made to protect and promote it. He said that Tripura is an integral part of Ashtalakshmi, symbolizing the cultural and developmental strength of the North-Eastern region. He mentioned that after Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014, the centre has signed 21 agreements with the north-eastern states and more than 11,000 youths have shunned violence to join the mainstream.
He noted that tourism and investment have grown significantly in the region, and that the Prime Minister has transformed the North-East from conflict to development. The Union Minister said that Hindi was spread across the country through music, by legendary singers and composers of the North-East like Bhupen Hazarika, SD Burman, RD Burman as well as by Zubeen Garg whose works carried Hindi to global audiences.
Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha, and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.
