Hindi-speaking people to give more respect and space to regional languages: Prez Kovind

New Delhi, September 15: President Ramnath Kovind said that hindi-speaking people should give more respect and space to regional languages. The President said that parts of the country thought that Hindi was being imposed on them.

Addressing a function on the occasion of ‘Hindi Divas’ in Delhi, the President said, Hindi continued to face opposition in some parts of the country even though it became an official language many decades ago.

“Non-Hindi speaking people desire that we (Hindi-speaking people) give attention to their languages. Those who speak Hindi should give space to other languages. We all have the responsibility to give respect to non-Hindi speaking people and regional languages,” said the President.

The adoption of other languages and cultures will help unite the people and the country, he added.

The president said he had used the Russian word ‘spasiba’ (thank you) while ending his speech at a state banquet during the recent visit of Belarus President A G Lukashenko. The guest was so delighted that he spontaneously responded with a ‘Jai Hind’, he said.

Referring to recent incidents on the Bangalore Metro, where a pro-Kannada group opposed Hindi signboards in the train service, and earlier agitations against Hindi in Tamil Nadu, President Kovind said there was a feeling among some people that Hindi was being imposed on them.

He also launched the ‘LILA Mobile App’ in the presence of Rajnath Singh, Union Minister of Home Affairs and Hansraj Gagaram Ahir and Kiran Rijiju, Ministers of State for Home Affairs.