Language is not just a medium of communication, but it also carries with it our thinking, culture and history. In a country full of diversity like India, there is always debate and curiosity about language. Sometimes there is discussion about Hindi-Urdu, and sometimes questions are raised about ancient languages ​​like Sanskrit and Tamil. Recently, one such interesting and thought-provoking conversation was witnessed when famous lyricist, poet and writer Javed Akhtar openly shared his experiences related to languages, secularism, family and his personal life at the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF).

Javed Akhtar is known for his outspoken opinions and logical talks. Be it society, politics or language and culture, he expresses his views openly on every subject. Something similar was seen in a session of Jaipur Literature Festival 2026, when the audience asked him direct and sharp questions and he also answered with the same simplicity and clarity.

Which is the oldest language in the world

During the festival, a spectator asked Javed Akhtar that which language is older among Urdu and Sanskrit. At first Javed Akhtar was a little surprised at this question and then smilingly said, what kind of question is this? Sanskrit is a language thousands of years old, whereas Urdu has not even completed a thousand years yet. Explaining in simple words, he said that Sanskrit is considered to be the second oldest living language in the world, whereas Tamil is said to be the oldest living language in the world.

According to Javed Akhtar, Urdu is a much newer language than these two. He said jokingly that Urdu is yesterday’s child. However, he also made it clear that the importance of a language should not be decided only by its age. The real value of a language lies in its literature, its power of expression and its contribution to society. He described Urdu as the younger sister of Sanskrit and said that Urdu has enriched itself by taking influence from many languages ​​including Sanskrit.

There is no relation between language and religion

Javed Akhtar also said a very important thing on this occasion, he said in clear words that language has nothing to do with any religion. According to him, language is related to region, not religion, it is wrong to consider Urdu as the language of only one community. This is the common heritage of India, on which every Indian has an equal right. He said that instead of making languages ​​a cause of fight, they should be made a medium to connect people. Language builds bridges, not walls.

Emotional in memories of mother and grandmother

Javed Akhtar also became emotional during this session. While sharing the stories of his childhood, he told that when he was only eight years old, his mother passed away. He said that it was his mother who made the language an interesting and enjoyable experience for him. Javed Akhtar told, my mother used to teach me new words and explain their meanings. Even today when I write something, the same things come to my mind which I had learned from him at the age of six-seven years. He also mentioned his grandmother and said that she was not educated, but she had a deep understanding of life and society. Talking about secularism, he said that it cannot be learned by reading a book or listening to a speech, rather it comes from the family and surrounding environment.

Special advice given to youth

When a youth present at the festival expressed his problems regarding comparison and competition, Javed Akhtar gave him a simple but deep mantra of life. He said, comparison with others creates fear. There will always be someone better than you and you will be better than someone else. Therefore the real competition should be with oneself.

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The country’s Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said in a program organized at Jamia Millia Islamia University that India is a country which no one can destabilize. He said, ‘There were movements and coups in our neighbors Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. In countries like Libya, external forces ruined everything, but this is not possible in India, because our Constitution is so strong that the solution to every challenge is present in it. This country can never be destroyed.

Disagreement is also necessary in democracy, but…
Rijiju said that India’s democracy is one of the most powerful democracies in the world. He said, ‘We were born in a country which is difficult to imagine. Both social media and media are very active, and everyone can express their views openly. But we should not do anything that harms the country or creates a divided society. He also commented on the uproar in Parliament and said, ‘Sometimes there is noise in Parliament, but that is the beauty of democracy. If there is no debate and conflict in Parliament, then where will it happen?

‘If Hindus and Muslims move together, the country will progress further’
Rijiju said that there are six recognized minority communities in India, of which Muslims have the largest population. He told that the number of Parsi community is decreasing, hence the government started ‘Jio Parsi’ program so that this community does not disappear. He said, ‘It is the responsibility of the government to think about small communities also.’ The Union Minister said that Hindus and Muslims are two big communities in India, and if both the communities come together for the development of the country, then all other communities will also move forward in this journey. He said that Jamia University has always been giving the message of positive thinking and unity and no negative message has ever gone from here.

India will become a developed nation by 2047- Rijiju
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Developed India 2047’, Rijiju said, ‘India is growing at the rate of 7% today while the world is growing at an average pace of 2%. The way the country is progressing, we are confident that India will become a developed nation by 2047.

Regret of not learning Urdu language – Union Minister
At the end of his speech, Rijiju said that he now realizes that not learning Urdu was a shortcoming. He said, ‘If I had learned Urdu, I would have been writing poetry among you today. There is no other language in the world as beautiful as Urdu. Recalling the historical legacy of Jamia, he said that ‘the foundation of Jamia University was laid due to great people like Mahatma Gandhi, Tagore, Sarojini Naidu and Maulana Mohammad Ali Johar. Jamia will always have a special place in my heart.