Shah Urges Nagari Script for Tripura Tongues
- By Thetripurapost Desk, Agartala
- Feb 20, 2026
- 537
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has emphatically advocated the preservation and institutional strengthening of indigenous languages of the North-East, including those spoken in Tripura, through the adoption of the Nagari (Devanagari) script.
He underscored that language should function as a catalyst for development and national integration rather than a source of contention.
Addressing the Joint Regional Official Language Conference of the eastern, northeastern, and northern regions, Shah asserted that indigenous languages cannot be sustainably conserved through foreign scripts. He urged linguistic communities in Tripura that currently rely on non-native scripts to consider embracing Devanagari, observing that several other northeastern states have already acknowledged the strategic importance of script standardisation and acted accordingly.
He called for a constructive and unambiguous decision on the matter, free from misapprehension or discord.
The Home Minister maintained that the Devanagari script possesses the structural versatility to accommodate and preserve over 2,000 languages across India.
For languages lacking a codified script, he argued, Nagari can serve as a viable and enduring framework for literary codification and institutional advancement.
He further highlighted the pivotal role of official and regional languages in policy formulation, governance, and the broader project of nation-building.
Referring to Tripura’s multilingual ethos, Shah noted that Bengali, Kokborok, and Hindi coexist in parallel without historical discord. Addressing criticism of Hindi, he contended that there is no inherent antagonism between Hindi and regional languages; rather, they share a complementary relationship—“akin to two sisters born of the same mother.”
He suggested that the advancement of Hindi could facilitate the wider dissemination and recognition of other Indian languages.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he added, the government has prioritised mother-tongue education and enhanced interregional communication through Hindi, thereby fortifying national unity.
Emphasising the North-East’s extraordinary cultural plurality, Shah observed that the region encompasses more than 200 languages, 160 tribes, approximately 50 distinct festivals, and over 30 traditional dance forms across its eight states.
Once overshadowed by insurgency and instability, the region has, over the past decade, entered a phase of cultural resurgence and peace through a series of accords, enabling the seamless organisation of events such as the Rajbhasha Sammelan.
Reiterating the indispensability of mother-tongue instruction, the Home Minister stressed that primary education must be imparted in a child’s native language to ensure cognitive and cultural grounding. He called upon families, educators, and policymakers to assume an active role in strengthening both official and regional languages, affirming that their preservation and development are integral to cultural continuity, institutional progress, and the consolidation of national unity.