Srinagar: India is too diverse a country to have one national language and the idea of India is that it gives space to everybody, National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah said here on Thursday.
The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said it is important to recognise and respect that India is more than just one language, one culture or one religion.
"India is too diverse a country to have one national language. The idea of India is that it gives space to everybody. When you pick up an
Indian currency note, how many languages do you find on it?
"The currency note gives space to all the languages and if the Indian currency note gives space to all the languages, then obviously it is understood that we are more than just one language, more than just one culture, more than just one religion," he said, replying to a query on a recent controversy over the issue.
"We must give space to everybody. If we do not impose a language in Jammu and Kashmir, why should anybody do it? Let people choose. Why should there be a national language? I do not think a place like India needs a national language, we do not need a national religion. We need to give space to everybody," Abdullah said.
Asked if communalism had become mainstream and elections are now only fought over Hindu-Muslim issues, he said it was not something new "but now, there has been an increase".