Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, strongly advocated for India's linguistic and cultural diversity in Delhi for the launch of the book Vaiko in Parliament in his speech. The Congress leader said: “Every Indian state should have the constitutional and cultural right to be able to have its own language, history and traditions.”
Rahul Gandhi said India’s strength lies in diversity, not in one language or one culture but in the diversity of India’s story, he said at the event attended by political leaders and supporters. He said that every region contributes to the country’s national identity and should be respected equally.
"Every state has the right to express itself. Every state has the right to its own culture, the right to its own history, the right to its own language," Gandhi said during his address.
He went on to criticize what he described as attempts to undermine regional identities. As for those who, according to him, do not know about India’s multilingual and multicultural nature, Gandhi said there are “ignorant people” who do not understand Tamil, Marathi, Bengali or Malayalam-speaking communities and seek to raise only one version of history and culture.
The debate is larger than language and is part of the larger ideological battle of India’s identity, Rahul Gandhi said. He claimed that some groups have a single historical narrative associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and do not take into account the country’s rich regional heritage.
#WATCH | Delhi: At the launch of the book "Vaiko in Parliament", Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi says, "...Every state has the right to express itself. Every state has the right to its own culture, the right to its own history, the right to its own language. And here we have,… pic.twitter.com/jVcp12Exh6
— ANI (@ANI) August 4, 2026
"The only language, the only history that is important, relevant, is the one ascribed by the RSS. This is really what the fight is about," he said.
The Congress MP also referred to student movements and claimed that many young people are raising their voices to protect India’s cultural diversity and democratic values. India would never accept attempts to suppress its various languages, traditions and histories, he said.
But Gandhi also said, “This is why the students are outside. Because India will never accept any of its cultures, any of its languages, any of its histories to be trampled by anybody.”
The remarks come at a time when the politics of language policies, education reform and regional identity in India's federal structure are still at play. Language has remained a sensitive issue in several states, especially in southern India, where fears of Hindi promotion have sometimes led to political opposition.
The event honed Tamil veteran Vaiko’s parliamentary legacy with the publication of his book Vaiko in Parliament. Rahul Gandhi spoke about India’s pluralistic nature and the constitutional rights of every state in order to preserve its linguistic and cultural heritage.
His comments are expected to provoke political debate: supporters may see them as a defense of India’s federal and multicultural identity and critics may counter his interpretation of the continued debate regarding language and national integration.
