Chennai: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said the BJP-led Government at the Centre headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was strongly committed to promote all the regional languages, including Tamil.
He was addressing the 56th Raising Day event of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Regional Training Centre, which he renamed it after Rajaditya Cholan Regional Training Centre (RTC) in memory of the Chola prince, who died in a battle there centuries ago, at Thakkolam in Ranipet district of Tamil Nadu.
Stressing on the importance of preserving the rich cultural heritage of Tamil Nadu, he highlighted the efforts of the Prime Ministerto honour the state’s linguistic and cultural legacy.
In an apparent counter to the ruling dmk’s oft-repeated charge that the Government headed by Mr Modi had done nothing for promoting Tamil language and development and that enough funds were not allocated, Mr Amit Shah said Tamil Nadu’s heritage significantly contributes to the broader Indian cultural fabric and the rich culture of the State has greatly bolstered India’s diverse heritage.
The central government values and promotes every state’s language,” Mr Amit Shah said, adding “the Prime Minister has prioritised Tamil and its heritage, taking concrete steps to incorporate state languages into educational and professional spheres.”
Pointing out that the government has introduced several initiatives like inclusion of regional languages, such as Tamil, in critical examinations for the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), the Union Home Minilster said prior to Mr Modi’s tenure, candidates could not take CAPF exams in their mother tongue, be it Tamil, Bengali or Kannada.
“Now, under the guidance and leadership of Mr Modi, candidates can write the CAPF exams and other exams in their regional languages, ensuring that no candidate is disadvantaged by language barriers,” he asserted.
In this context, Mr Amit Shah urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin to introduce medicine and engineering courses in Tamil, a point which he had made it earlier, while attending a function in Chennai.
Offering these programs in the Tamil language will greatly benefit local students and make higher education more accessible, he noted.
“I have been advocating for the introduction of medicine and engineering courses in Tamil for the past two years, but no action has been taken so far”, Mr Amit Shah said.
“I urge the Chief Minister to take necessary steps at least now and introduce medical and engineering courses in Tamil”, he added.
To drive home his point, Mr Amit Shah said similar initiatives have already been implemented nationwide, allowing students to pursue courses in fields like medicine and engineering in their native languages, which helps in bridging educational gaps while ensuring greater inclusivity for students across India.
Reiterating the ambitious goals set by Mr Modi, including transforming India into the world’s third-largest economy by 2027 and establishing it as a fully developed nation by 2047, the Union Home Minister congratulated the CISF’s pivotal role in safeguarding the national interests, which directly contributes to the realisation of these objectives.
UNI
