Kolkata, Jul 19 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday stressed the need for every young person to learn at least one Indian language besides one’s mother tongue and underlined the importance of preserving Indian languages to safeguard its civilisational identity as he inaugurated the country’s first immersive language museum here.
Inaugurating the Museum of Word (Shabdalok) at the National Library campus here, Shah described it as “a major step to revitalise the country’s cultural heritage” and “a momentous day for the nation’s culture”.
He dubbed the inauguration “an important milestone for Indian culture”, while asserting that the country has no place for narrow-mindedness.
Developed by the National Library under the aegis of the Union Culture Ministry, the museum celebrates India’s rich linguistic heritage and traces the evolution of its oral and written traditions through interactive, technology-driven exhibits.
“Every youth must learn one Indian language along with the mother tongue. Through this, we can give long life to our languages,” Shah said.
Emphasising the inseparable link between language and civilisation, he said a nation’s culture could neither exist nor be expressed without language.
“Our language carries our heritage, and through languages you can understand a country’s culture. Language is the origin of culture. Without words and language, culture remains incomplete,” he said.
Shah said the museum would help future generations understand the evolution of languages over centuries and contribute significantly to the country’s cultural renaissance.
“This is a momentous day for the nation’s culture and a significant milestone in the resolve to revitalise the country’s cultural heritage.
Unless our future generations understand this journey, the cultural revitalisation of this country cannot truly take place. I am fully confident that this ‘Museum of Word’ will address a fundamental need in the process of cultural resurgence and will succeed in its mission,” he said.
Calling upon people to preserve India’s multilingual ethos, Shah urged students never to forget their mother tongue while embracing other Indian languages.
He also appealed to young people to reconnect with libraries, saying the country’s future depends not merely on the strength of its educational institutions but on the reading habits of its citizens.
“I wish to make a strong appeal regarding libraries, especially to the students. The future of this country does not depend on how crowded its colleges and universities are; rather, it depends on how many young people and adolescents visit its libraries. You should learn about this library movement initiated by the Ministry of Culture and make use of it to shape your personality,” he said.
The home minister said India’s intellectual tradition had always thrived on openness and debate.
“We have never placed restrictions on ideas. We engaged in dialogue with the scriptures, held philosophical debates and continuously embraced innovation alongside tradition,” he said.
Having toured the museum, Shah suggested that its scope be expanded further to reflect the digital age.
“I urge the Culture Secretary to extend this narrative to the realms of computers and Artificial Intelligence so that our languages gain full acceptance in the modern era. We have never shied away from innovation. We embraced whatever was beneficial and integrated it with our traditions to multiply its positive impact,” he said.
Referring to Bengal’s intellectual legacy, Shah said the state had produced some of the country’s greatest litterateurs, scientists, revolutionaries and scholars, and had for decades led India intellectually and culturally.
Recalling the contributions of Rabindranath Tagore, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and Sri Aurobindo, he said Bengal had served as a global beacon of Indian consciousness.
“Bengal has given India some of its greatest minds. One cannot truly understand India without studying the life and philosophy of Sri Aurobindo,” he said.
Shah, however, alleged that Bengal’s cultural consciousness had weakened over the years.
“There was a long period when attempts were made to alienate our Indian cultural consciousness from Bengal. Narrow ideologies and foreign ideologies weakened Bengal’s ability to contribute to the country and the world,” he said.
Expressing optimism about the state’s future, Shah said Bengal was once again emerging as a leading force.
“I have been closely monitoring West Bengal for the last nine weeks, and it is becoming the ‘prakash stambh’ (guiding light) of the country. Now the time has come to once again make this great beacon of Indian consciousness capable of awakening the consciousness of the entire world with its full power,” he said.
Praising the BJP government in the state, Shah said he had full faith that the vision of a “Sonar Bangla” would be realised under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
The CM, who was present at the event, said Shah had written to him about according greater prominence and recognition to the Bengali language.
Adhikari said he would speak about the contents of the letter in the assembly on Monday.
The first phase of Shabdalok chronicles the diversity of Indian languages, scripts and literature. Designed as an immersive cultural experience rather than a conventional museum, it uses digital displays, holograms, motion-sensor technology, audio-visual presentations and interactive installations to engage visitors.
Its inaugural phase comprises nine galleries covering the origin of words, mother tongues, the evolution of languages, oral traditions, performing arts, contributions of great personalities to different languages, public dialogue and the history of public libraries.
The museum celebrates India’s 22 constitutionally recognised languages and traces their journey from oral traditions and ancient manuscripts to printed works and modern electronic texts.
One of its key attractions allows visitors to trace the evolution of individual words over centuries, illustrating how their pronunciation, meaning and usage have changed over time. PTI PNT BDC
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