HP Guv urges youth to embrace mother tongue
Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Governor Kavinder Gupta on Sunday urged the youth to embrace their linguistic heritage and take pride in speaking their mother tongue.
“Language is a vital part of one’s cultural identity and plays a crucial role in preserving traditions and values," said the Governor while addressing a key session of the Bhartiya Yuva Sansad, organised jointly by the Bhartiya Yuva Sansad-Media Foundation and the Central Sanskrit University at the Maharshi Vyas Auditorium in Nagpur.
Encouraging young people to use their native languages in daily life, Gupta highlighted that doing so will not only strengthen cultural roots but also foster a deeper sense of belonging and self-respect. Taking pride in India's rich linguistic diversity from Kashmiri, Dogri and Pahari to Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, and Sanskrit, the governor said that multilingual participation in the session was a living expression of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat.'
The session was attended by nearly 600 young participants, drawn from across the country for vibrant democratic deliberation on issues of national importance.
He underscored that a nation's languages are not merely instruments of communication; they are its soul, memory, and living identity. Gupta shared his deep concern over the growing tendency among the present generation to feel hesitant about speaking their mother tongue, calling it a serious cultural warning signal.
"Learning English is welcome, but not at the cost of one's own language," he said, adding that a child who thinks in his mother tongue grows up more creative, more self-confident, and more deeply rooted in his civilization.
The governor quoted the example of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's consistent use of Hindi while addressing world forums from the United Nations and G-20 summits to bilateral engagements as an inspiring example of cultural self-respect.
He reminded us that at the recently held India AI Impact Summit 2026, the Prime Minister delivered his address in Hindi, sending a resounding message that India can think, speak, and lead in its own language even on subjects as cutting-edge as artificial intelligence.
He called upon youth to internalise the Panch Parivartan, including Swabodh (self-awareness and swadeshi spirit), Kutumb Prabodhan (strengthening of the family unit), Samajik Samarasta (social harmony across all divides), Paryavaran Sanrakshan (environmental conservation), and Nagrik Kartavya (faithful discharge of citizen duties) principles as a personal charter for responsible citizenship and national renewal.
Emphasising the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047, he urged youths to see themselves not merely as beneficiaries of progress but as active builders of the nation’s future, stressing that the dream of a developed India will be realised when young Indians combine knowledge, skills, and a strong sense of national responsibility.
