No progress possible without knowledge of one's mother tongue: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that all progress is meaningless if one's mother tongue is neglected. He was addressing countrymen in his monthly radio program 'Mann Ki Baat'.

"United Nations has declared 2019 as the International Year of Indigenous Languages. That means efforts are being made to conserve those languages which are on the verge of extinction," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Hundred and fifty years ago, the father of modern Hindi, Bharatendu Harishchandra, had also said that the progress of one's language is the source of one's overall progress. All progress is meaningless if one's mother tongue is neglected," said Modi.

"That means, no progress is possible without the knowledge of one's mother tongue," he added.

The International Year of Indigenous Languages is a United Nations observance in 2019 that aims to raise awareness of the consequences of the endangerment of Indigenous languages across the world.