"Speak Mother Tongue At Home": RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat Amid Language Row

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Wednesday appealed for social harmony across the country, urging people to rise above the divisions of language, caste, and wealth. According to Bhagwat, people should speak their mother tongue at home, adding that all languages have equal weightage.

Bhagwat's remarks came amid allegations by several regional parties, mostly from south India, that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has been "trying to give primacy to Hindi at the cost of regional languages". They also came at a time when outrage had been growing over the killing of Angel Chakma, a student from Tripura, in Dehradun following alleged racial abuse. Amid the public anger, Bhagwat reiterated that the entire country belongs to everyone and that harmony is central to India's identity.

"At least inside our houses, we should speak in our mother tongue. If you live in another state or region, you should learn the language of that state or region because all languages are India's national languages. They all have equal weightage," he said while addressing a 'Hindu Sammelan' at Sonpairi village in Chhattisgarh's Raipur district.

BJP's praise

Many BJP leaders praised the RSS chief's remarks, saying his message "underscored the inclusive nature of Indian identity".

BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal told IANS, "Certainly, anyone who lives in India and says 'Vande Mataram' is Indian and, in the true sense, a Hindu. What respected Mohan Bhagwat said, that India should remain an eternal nation, a Hindu nation, and that anyone who lives in India and considers India as their mother is Indian, regardless of their religion, is absolutely correct."

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said that Bhagwat had spoken in the right spirit. "He has spoken correctly. He consistently emphasises social harmony, brings people together, and we are all moving forward in a manner that reflects India's culture, including everyone along the way," he said.

According to Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC, India has always stood as a symbol of social harmony. "It is correct that India is a symbol of social harmony and unity. Every citizen, leaving aside caste, creed, gender, and language, shares a common goal. Caste exists only as a symbol for serving society and the nation," she said.

Opposition reacts

The Opposition, however, hit out at the BJP, questioning whose ideology Bhagwat represents. "After his extensive statement, who should be the first to heed his words? Whose ideology does he represent, and which political party draws inspiration from him? It's the BJP, isn't it?" RJD MP Manoj Jha said.

Jha, citing the Tripura student's alleged racial abuse, said, "Right now, in their own state of Uttarakhand, a child from Tripura is murdered. I haven't heard a single statement from him on this. The blatant form of linguistic and racial discrimination that we are witnessing - when so much poison was being sown - he remained continuously silent. Now the poison has reached every nostril, every lung."

Congress leader Rashid Alvi questioned why Bhagwat does not tell the BJP leaders to stop "forcibly imposing" the Hindi language on the people of South India. "Mohan Bhagwat's statements won't make any difference. He needs to explain this to his cadre and the BJP leaders," he said.