Marathi is my mother, Hindi my aunt, says Fadnavis on Hindi Diwas

A special event was held at the CIDCO Exhibition Centre in Vashi, Navi Mumbai, to mark Hindi Diwas and the All India Rajbhasha Conference. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and several other senior leaders attended, drawing political and social attention to the event.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis spoke about the relationship between Hindi and Marathi. Referring to the process of giving Hindi the status of an official language, he stressed the importance of the mother tongue. Fadnavis said the Prime Minister has said everyone should learn the mother tongue of their state, because the knowledge and understanding that comes from the mother tongue is not as easily gained from another language.

Fadnavis cited the Hindi literature of Munshi Premchand to highlight the rich tradition of the Hindi language. He also said that along with the mother tongue, one should certainly learn at least one more language.

One statement by Fadnavis drew particular attention. He said, "Marathi is my mother, and Hindi is my aunt." He said that just as a mother is respected, so is an aunt, and that he holds the same respect for both languages.

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also praised Amit Shah in his speech at the event. Shinde said that Amit Shah had made possible what seemed impossible, referring to the abrogation of Article 370.

Shinde said Hindi and Marathi are not merely languages of the Devanagari script but a matter of pride. He cited the works of Sant Namdev to underline the old relationship between the two languages.

Amit Shah has been on a visit to Mumbai since yesterday, and with Ganeshotsav underway, his visit is also being watched closely in political circles. As a result, this Hindi Diwas event has become a subject of political discussion, not confined to language alone.