Summary
- Amit Shah launches Bharatiya Bhasha Anubhag to promote Indian languages in governance.
- Aims to reduce reliance on English in administration and public services.
- Empowers citizens to engage with government in their native languages.
- Aligned with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and cultural self-reliance.
In a move described as both symbolic and strategic, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday inaugurated the Bharatiya Bhasha Anubhag—a new division within the Department of Official Language designed to mainstream Indian languages across government operations.
Speaking at the launch in New Delhi, Mr. Shah said the initiative marks a decisive step toward reducing India’s overreliance on English in administration, legislation, and public service delivery. “We cannot become truly self-reliant while thinking and functioning in a foreign language,” he declared, framing the reform as integral to the larger Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) vision.
The new unit will coordinate efforts to integrate native languages in policymaking, legal affairs, and citizen services—an undertaking that officials say will require a combination of institutional reform and technological innovation.
A Deliberate Shift Away from Colonial Legacy
For decades, English has remained the lingua franca of India’s elite bureaucracy, despite the country’s constitutional commitment to linguistic diversity. While 22 languages are officially recognized, Hindi and English dominate central government operations.
The Bharatiya Bhasha Anubhag aims to change that. It is tasked with developing region-specific protocols, training civil servants in multilingual communication, and producing government documents in multiple Indian languages. The reform is not merely linguistic; it reflects a broader cultural realignment in the governance of the world’s largest democracy.
“Inclusion is not just about geography or economics—it’s about language,” Mr. Shah said. “Citizens should not need to translate their lives into English to engage with the state.”
The initiative also seeks to improve digital accessibility. Government portals are expected to support multilingual input, speech-to-text tools, and language-specific AI models. Collaboration with top Indian institutes, including the IITs, is already underway to develop Natural Language Processing (NLP) systems that recognize and respect linguistic nuance.
Navigating the Complex Terrain of Linguistic Identity
While the program has been largely welcomed by cultural scholars and language activists, it enters a sensitive political space. In states like Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and parts of the Northeast, there have historically been concerns about Hindi imposition and erosion of local identities.
Mr. Shah attempted to address these apprehensions by emphasizing the interdependence of all Indian languages. Drawing a metaphor, he said, “Each Indian language is like a river that ultimately flows into the Ganga of our civilizational identity.”
Nonetheless, experts caution that implementation must be carefully balanced to avoid linguistic hierarchy or tokenism. “Empowering languages without alienating communities will require more than translation—it demands structural humility,” said a senior language policy expert from Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Case in Point: Karnataka’s 2023 Language Deadlock
The rationale for a central framework became particularly evident during Karnataka’s 2023 push to mandate Kannada in government communications. The state faced institutional resistance from central bodies, which cited the lack of national norms and legal ambiguities. Ultimately, English remained the default.
That episode exposed a gap in India’s language policy—one that Bharatiya Bhasha Anubhag now seeks to address. By creating a unified, system-wide strategy for linguistic inclusion, the government hopes to restore trust and accessibility in public institutions.
“Language is power,” Mr. Shah said. “And now, we are returning that power to the people.”
