Those who speak English will soon feel ashamed: Shah stresses need to uphold India's linguistic heritage

Speaking at IAS Ashutosh Agnihotri's book launch of Main Boond Swayam, Khud Sagar Hoon, Shah stated, "In this country, those who speak English will soon feel ashamed -- the creation of such a society is not far away. Only those who are determined can bring about change.

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United News of India

an hour ago

• United News of India

Cooperation is the soul of India's way of life: Amit Shah

Mumbai, June 20 (UNI) Cooperation is the soul of India's way of life, said Union Minister for Cooperation Amit Shah in Mumbai on Friday. He was speaking at the 'Sahakar Se Samriddhi' National Symposium organized at Hotel Fairmont today. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Cooperation Minister Babasaheb Patil, Agriculture Minister Adv. Manikrao Kokate and several others were present. Shah said that UN has declared 2025 as the 'International Year of Cooperatives'. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a historic step by establishing a separate Ministry of Cooperatives in the country. Now the aim is to establish two lakh new Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) in the country, he said. He further said that information about cooperative societies in every village across the country has been collected through a digital database, and Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka have made remarkable achievements in the cooperative sector. PACS societies will now not be limited to agriculture alone but will operate in 22 new service sectors. These include Jan Aushadhi Kendras, gas distribution, petrol pumps, railway ticketing services, taxi services. In the 'National Taxi' initiative, the taxi drivers will be the owners of the vehicle and their profits will be deposited directly in their bank accounts, he said. This initiatives will create new employment opportunities for women and youth, and will boost the rural economy. The country is moving towards a new era of cooperation said Shah. Speaking on occasion, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that Maharashtra has successfully implemented various schemes in rural areas through PACS and FPOs (Farmer Producer Organizations). These schemes have given a boost to employment generation and have provided a market chain to farmers. Maharashtra has fulfilled the objectives of the central government more efficiently, Fadnavis said. He further said that Maharashtra has a 120-year tradition of cooperation and this historical land is to celebrate the International Year of Cooperation. UNI SP RN

Time of India

2 hours ago

• Time of India

Shah: Govt intervention helped stop farmers' suicides in Maha

Mumbai: The govt's intervention by way of consistent investment in ensuring there will be no droughts has helped to stop farmer suicides in Maharashtra, Union home and cooperatives minister Amit Shah said on Friday. Shah was in Mumbai to address a national seminar on International Cooperatives Year, 2025, as well as inaugurate the headquarters of the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture. "When I started out in politics, farmers committing suicide in Maharashtra was a national discussion. Several commissions were set up, reports published, govts changed... The first Mahayuti govt implemented Jal Yukta Shivar Yojana and then the second was the Eknath Shinde govt and now the third govt. For Vidarbha and Marathwada, which have been drought-prone regions since the time of Chandragupta Maurya, we planned investments such that there would be no droughts and it was then that farmer suicides stopped," he said. Shah said there can be neither agriculture nor industry without water, and without these, there can be no trade. "We focused on all these things. This happens when someone goes to the root of a problem. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like [Click Here] - 2025 Top Trending Search - Local network access Esseps Learn More Undo All over the country and for every state I can make this speech, and therefore the country's economy has gone up from 11th to 4th position. There has been symmetric development across the country. In the 2014 budget, investment in infrastructure was Rs 1.51 lakh crore, which has now gone up to Rs 10.55 lakh crore. Railways, ports, airports have gone up and the maximum benefit is to industry," he said. Comparing benefits to Maharashtra under the UPA govt and the Modi govt, he said at that time (UPA) too, there was a double-engine govt, yet Maharashtra was left to its fate. He said the double-engine Modi govt has implemented projects worth Rs 7 lakh crore to address issues of Mumbai, from coastal road to metros to housing. Between 2004 and 2014, Maharashtra received Rs 1.91 lakh crore in devolution and grant-in-aid, while PM Modi allocated Rs 7.8 lakh crore between 2014 and 2024. Maharashtra, he said, has the most startups, the largest port is being built at Vadhavan, and it is leading the bullet train project. The Modi govt, he said, has given the state 11 Vande Bharat trains, 128 railway stations have been upgraded, 3 of the 11 industrial corridors are in Maharashtra, the Dighi industrial area has been sanctioned, and the Samruddhi Expressway built. Of the 12 textile parks sanctioned, seven are in Maharashtra, he said.

Indian Express

3 hours ago

• Indian Express

English empowering, tool to break chains… should be taught to every child: Rahul Gandhi

Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the English language is 'not shameful, it's empowering', but the BJP-RSS don't want poor children to learn English because they don't want them to ask questions, move ahead and become equal. 'English is not a dam, it is a bridge. English is not shameful, it is empowering. English is not a chain — it is a tool to break the chains,' said the Congress leader on X. Gandhi was reacting to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's statement that soon a time would come when those speaking English in the country would 'feel ashamed'. On Thursday, Shah, speaking at the launch of Main Boond Swayam, Khud Sagar Hoon, authored by IAS officer Ashutosh Agnihotri, said: 'In our lifetime, we will see a society in which those speaking English will feel ashamed, that day is not far … I believe that the languages of our country are the ornament of our culture. Without them, we would not have been Bharatiya. Our country, its history, its culture, our Dharma, if these have to be understood, it cannot be done in foreign languages.' In his X post, Gandhi said, 'The BJP-RSS don't want poor kids of India to learn English because they don't want you to ask questions, move ahead, and attain equality.' He said in today's world, English is as important as one's mother tongue because it helps in securing employment and boost one's confidence. 'Every language of India has soul, culture, knowledge. We have to cherish them — and at the same time teach English to every child. This is the path to an India that competes with the world, that gives every child an equal opportunity,' said Gandhi. TMC MP Derek O'Brien also weighed in. In a video statement, he said, 'In India, 97% people use one of the 22 constitutionally recognised languages as their mother tongue. 19,500 languages and dialects are used as mother tongues. This is the 'unity in diversity' of our great nation. Amit Shah, PM Narendra Modi and gang will never understand this.' Another TMC Rajya Sabha member, Sagarika Ghose, said Indians should not be ashamed of any language. 'English is a link language across India, it's aspirational, confers a global advantage and knowledge of English is demanded by millions. Indians should not be 'ashamed' of any language,' she said.