Promote Hindi, preserve regional languages: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that colonial rule had instilled a preference for English in Northeast India, delaying Hindi adoption.

Sarma attended the Joint Regional Official Language Conference of the Eastern and Northeastern regions, organized by the Department of Official Language, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India in Guwahati.

Sarma expressed his appreciation to the department for selecting Guwahati as the venue and welcomed all attendees to Assam. He congratulated the recognised offices organisations for their exemplary use of Hindi and emphasised the need to promote Hindi while valuing regional languages.


Referring to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s vision, he stated that by India’s centenary of independence, Hindi and regional languages should be so well-developed that foreign languages become unnecessary. Highlighting India’s diversity, he underscored Hindi’s role in fostering unity and cultural cohesion, stressing that the preservation of language is essential for safeguarding civilisation.

Reflecting on the historical context, the Chief Minister noted that colonial rule had instilled a preference for English in Northeast India, delaying Hindi adoption. He said that over time, people recognised Hindi as a gateway to employment opportunities. He added that limited exposure to Hindi initially restricted job opportunities for the region’s youth in North India. However, he remarked that with growing acceptance, Hindi’s popularity has steadily increased.

Sarma said that the framers of the Indian Constitution emphasised the need for Hindi to be simple and practical. He added that official Hindi should be free of technical complexities to remain accessible to all, thereby becoming a language of the people. He further highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to making Hindi more user-friendly by integrating elements from regional languages for broader acceptance and growth.

Acknowledging Assam’s geographical and cultural identity as part of both the Northeast and the broader Eastern region of India, the Chief Minister expressed his gratitude to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai for organising the conference in Guwahati.

He urged the Department of Official Language to extend its initiatives beyond central government institutions to state government offices, thereby fostering a greater appreciation for Hindi at the state level. He emphasised that Hindi should not be seen merely as the language of the central government but as one that coexists and flourishes alongside regional languages.