Love Hindi, Love India: We Need Pride in Our Mother Tongue, Not Showmanship
Special on Hindi Day | Shabu Zaidi
Hindi is not merely a language; it is a language of emotions, values, cultural traditions and communication for millions of Indians. Hindi is among the most widely spoken and understood languages in India. Its development did not take place in a single day or through the efforts of one individual. Modern Hindi evolved gradually over centuries through various regional languages, dialects and literary traditions.
Hindi literature has given the world great writers such as Premchand, Maithilisharan Gupt, Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Mahadevi Varma, Jaishankar Prasad and Suryakant Tripathi ‘Nirala’. These literary giants not only enriched Hindi literature but also brought Indian society, culture, struggles, love, emotions and human values to readers across the world.
The beauty of Hindi lies in its warmth, affection, respect and cultural values. This is one reason why people from different countries come to India to learn Hindi and make an effort to understand Hindi literature and Indian culture.
But we should also ask ourselves a question: If people from other countries take pride in learning our language, why do we hesitate to speak our own language?
Today, even in North India, many people who know Hindi choose to speak English with each other because they consider it a symbol of status or sophistication. Sometimes it appears that we want to show others that we are highly educated. Learning another language is certainly something to be proud of, but feeling ashamed of speaking one’s own language is a matter of concern.
When a Punjabi meets another Punjabi, they often communicate in Punjabi. Bengalis commonly speak Bengali with one another. People who speak Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam or Marathi also feel comfortable communicating in their mother tongues. So why should a Hindi-speaking person hesitate to speak Hindi?
There is nothing wrong with learning English. In fact, learning other languages expands our knowledge and broadens our horizons. But learning another language should never mean considering our own language inferior.
Governments and the education system should also seriously reflect on this issue. Hindi continues to have a strong presence in the Uttar Pradesh Board, but the availability and status of Hindi as a subject in higher classes under boards such as CBSE and ICSE deserve thoughtful consideration by parents and policymakers—particularly for children whose family and social language is Hindi.
Missionary and other English-medium schools should also give Hindi and other Indian languages a strong place alongside English. A child naturally expresses thoughts and emotions more comfortably in the language they have heard and spoken since childhood. Learning another language may be necessary, but it should not come at the cost of one’s mother tongue.
India’s strength lies in its linguistic diversity. Promoting Hindi does not mean pushing any other Indian language into the background. Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi, Urdu, Assamese, Gujarati and all the other languages of India are part of our shared cultural heritage.
Therefore, on Hindi Day, instead of taking a stand against any language, we should make a commitment to respect and cherish our own language.
Let us take a pledge today:
– We will take pride in speaking our mother tongue, Hindi.
– Wherever possible, we will use Hindi for applications, letters and communication.
– We will encourage our children to read, learn and understand Hindi.
– At the same time, we will respect English and all other Indian languages and make an effort to learn them as well.
Language does not make anyone superior or inferior, but pride in one’s own language keeps a person connected to their roots.
And remember:
Those who feel ashamed of speaking their own language gradually become distant from their own culture as well.
Love your language, respect other languages—that is the true identity of India.