Union Home Minister Amit Shah yesterday attended the launch of a documentary of newspaper Mumbai Samachar in Mumbai. Speaking on the occasion, the Union Minister said, no other country in the world has as many languages as India and no other foreign language has grammar like Indian languages. Mr Shah called upon people to teach their mother-tongue to children in order to preserve culture and civilization.Congratulating the editors of Mumbai Samachar, the Home Minister said that it is the run of newspaper for 203 years with true and accurate reporting is exceptional. He added that the newspaper has reported various historic events of the country since the revolt of 1857. He also lauded the efforts of the Parsi community for their contribution in varied fields including business and atomic energy. Terming it as a trusted news organisation, he recalled an an old saying that everything printed in Mumbai Samachar is true. Admitting that he learnt about the newspaper when Prime Minister Narendra Modi came here (in June) in connection with its bicentennial celebrations, Shah said,
"Dynasties don't last 200 years here but a newspaper has lasted for so long."Lauding the feat, Shah underlined that it was more difficult for a regional newspaper to survive for such a long time.It is probably the only (surviving) newspaper that reported on the death of Rani of Jhansi (on June 18, 1858) as well as cover PM Modi's oath-taking ceremony in 2014, Shah said to give the gathering an idea of the iconic daily's journey spanning many generations.
During his visit, Shah addressing recent accusations by Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut. Raut had alleged that the BJP was downplaying Mumbai's significance, and Shah indirectly responded to this by recalling his own participation in the campaign for renaming Bombay to Mumbai. Shah mentioned, "When the demand for 'Mumbai over Bombay' started, I was also a part of that movement. At that time, Mumbai Samachar had headlined 'Mumbai chahiye'," Shah stated. In his speech, Amit Shah highlighted the importance of speaking one's mother tongue, urging people to do so at home. He warned that failing to do so could lead to a rise in the number of old-age homes, as grandchildren who do not speak their mother tongue may struggle to connect with their grandparents, who often have more time to invest in such relationships.Addressing the issue of minority communities, Shah noted that within minority groups, there are further minorities, such as the Parsi community.