Darbhanga/Motihari/Bettiah, Nov 4: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday warned Pakistan-sponsored terrorists to refrain from further attacking India, asserting that if they repeat the mistake, they will face cannons for bullets.

Explosives manufactured in Bihar’s proposed defence corridor will be used against these terrorists, he said.

“Terrorists from Pakistan attacked our citizens in Pahalgam. They wiped off Sindoor from the foreheads of our mothers and sisters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi avenged it by launching Operation Sindoor within 20 days. The Indian Army neutralised the terrorists on Pakistan’s land,” Shah said at a poll rally in Bihar.

He said, “The PM is setting up a Defence Corridor in Bihar. If Pakistan-sponsored terrorists repeat their mistake, they will face cannons for bullets.”

The cannons to be used against terrorists will be made in Bihar, Shah said.

“Unlike the previous Congress regime, the government under Modi’s leadership is committed to the safety and security of the nation,” he alleged.

Shah launched a blistering attack on RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and his son Tejashwi Yadav for “raising slogans in the praise of late Muhammad Shahabuddin”, who was accused of unleashing terror in Siwan during the RJD’s 15-year rule in Bihar.

“Lalu and his party raise slogans like ‘Shahabuddin Amar Rahe’, dream of ‘Jungle Raj’ but Bihar people won’t allow these,” he said.

Addressing back-to-back rallies in Darbhanga, Motihari, and Bettiah, Shah urged voters in Bihar to press the EVM button with the BJP’s poll symbol ‘Lotus’ to prevent the return of ‘Jungle Raj’ during the RJD rule that had “devastated” the state.

Champaran is witness to “how Bihar’s land remained blood-soaked during the RJD’s ‘jungle raj,’” he said.

Shah also hit out at Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, for organising the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Bihar.

“I dare Rahul Gandhi to organise as many yatras as he can to protect infiltrators. We will drive out illegal immigrants,” he claimed.

Shah promised that if the NDA returns to power, the government will spend Rs 26,000 crore to harness the Koshi river water for irrigation and to prevent floods.

“Press ‘Lotus’ button to prevent the return of ‘Jungle Raj’ that devastated Bihar during Lalu-Rabri’s 15-year rule… murders, loots, kidnappings, and extortion will be common in the state again if you make a mistake on the November 6 voting day,” the union minister alleged.

Shah claimed that the NDA under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership could only lead Bihar to all-around development.

“Altogether, Rs 26,000 crore will be spent to harness the Koshi river water to irrigate ‘Mithilanchal’ and prevent floods in the area if the NDA is voted to power in Bihar…water of the Ganga, Koshi, and Gandak rivers will be utilised for irrigation and to prevent deluge in the state,” the former BJP president said.

If the NDA retains power in Bihar, people from Mithila, Koshi, and Tirhut will not be required to go to Patna or Delhi for treatment, as they will get quality medical facilities at AIIMS-Darbhanga, he said.

Shah claimed, “As many as 3.60 crore people have been covered with free health insurance up to Rs 5 lakh crore, while the IT park at Darbhanga will employ the youth.”

He slammed the RJD for its complaint to the Election Commission, seeking a pause on the Rs 10,000 benefit for ‘Jeevika Didis’, alleging that “three generations of Lalu won’t be able to snatch funds transferred” to the self-help groups.

Reiterating that the RJD-Congress insulted ‘Chhathi Maiya’, the prime minister and his mother, Shah said people of Bihar will “avenge the insult by showing the exit door to such political parties” in the upcoming elections.

“Bihar people never forgive those who insult ‘Chhathi Maiya’. The RJD-Congress will be wiped out in the Bihar polls,” Shah claimed.

If NDA retains power in Bihar, each district will get one engineering, one medical college in the next five years, he promised.

Asserting that real development could take place only under the Nitish Kumar and Narendra Modi regimes, he said, “As many as 423 companies inked pacts for Rs 1.80 lakh crore investment in Bihar during the business summit. Approval for a new airport at Raxaul has been given, while an auditorium will be built at Motihari.”

He said the land of Champaran is linked to Goddess Sita and Lord Ram, and “we will boost religious tourism here”.

Shah announced from Mahatma Gandhi’s ‘karma bhoomi’ Champaran that Naxalism will be wiped out from the country by March 31, 2026.

He also announced reviving sugar mills in Bihar, saying, “Over 20 sugar mills closed during the RJD rule in Bihar. We will not only revive these units, but also set up five more.”

By Vaishali Sharma

Language is not merely a tool for communication; it is a lens through which we perceive and interpret the world. In her widely cited TED talk, Prof. Lera Boroditsky (2010) explores this profound relationship, asking whether the language we speak shapes the way we think. Drawing upon cross-linguistic studies, she demonstrates that language guides cognition in significant ways.

Her argument is grounded in the principle of linguistic relativity, also known as the Sapir–Whorf Hypothesis, formulated in the early 20th century by Edward Sapir (1929) and Benjamin Lee Whorf (1956). This hypothesis proposes that language influences how speakers categorize and perceive reality. Boroditsky distinguishes this from linguistic determinism, an idea earlier suggested by Wilhelm von Humboldt (1836), which claims thought is impossible without language.

Boroditsky illustrates her ideas through a range of fascinating cross-cultural examples. Among the Kuuk Thaayorre speakers of Australia, even young children navigate using cardinal directions rather than relative directions like “left” or “right,” suggesting that language channels attention toward spatial orientation. Similarly, the way people conceptualize time is influenced by linguistic habits. English speakers typically organize time from left-to-right, Hebrew speakers from right-to-left, and Kuuk Thaayorre speakers from east-to-west, demonstrating that temporal perception is anchored in language-specific spatial frameworks (Boroditsky, 2001).

Language also shapes numerical cognition. The Pirahã community of the Amazon, whose language lacks words for exact numbers beyond two, struggle with tasks requiring precise quantity tracking. As Peter Gordon (2004) showed, acquiring number words enables the development of more accurate mathematical reasoning. Differences in color perception also reveal linguistic influence: languages categorize the color spectrum in diverse ways. Russian, for example, distinguishes between goluboy (light blue) and siniy (dark blue), which allows speakers to perceive subtle shades faster than English speakers (Kay & Berlin, 1969).

Grammatical structures further shape cognition. In German, the word for “bridge” is feminine and often described with adjectives like schön (beautiful), whereas in Spanish, it is masculine and described as fuerte (strong). This subtle linguistic difference influences how speakers perceive objects (Boroditsky, Schmidt & Phillips, 2003). Moreover, languages affect how we interpret events and assign agency. English speakers often emphasize the agent in an accident (“He broke the vase”), while Spanish speakers focus on the event itself (“The vase broke”), leading to differences in memory and attribution (Fausey & Boroditsky, 2011).

Boroditsky’s work aligns with the weaker version of the Sapir–Whorf Hypothesis. Language clearly influences thought, but does not rigidly determine it. Multilingual speakers can shift conceptual frameworks, and communities learning number words improve their numerical reasoning. Language is thus one of many factors shaping cognition, alongside culture, geography, and experience. Her research emphasizes the flexibility of human thought rather than confining it to linguistic boundaries.

From my own multilingual experience—Hindi, English, Sanskrit, and French—I find Boroditsky’s argument compelling. Hindi kinship terms, such as chacha, tau, and bua, encode family relationships with greater precision than English’s “uncle” or “aunt.” Hindi also distinguishes three second-person pronouns—tu, tum, and aap—which convey varying degrees of social distance and respect. Sanskrit adds further nuance with a neuter gender absent in Hindi, creating a sense of inclusivity. French, on the other hand, assigns grammatical gender to inanimate objects, forcing learners to reconsider familiar categories, sometimes in amusing ways. Collectively, these differences illustrate how language subtly guides attention, social understanding, and perception.

It is crucial to note, however, that no language is inherently “better” than another. Gender-neutral languages like Hungarian or Estonian are not automatically free from stereotypes, and Hindi’s pronoun system does not make it inherently “polite.” Rather, these linguistic features reflect the ways in which language and culture co-construct reality, providing different cognitive tools.

Ethical considerations are central when studying language and thought. Researchers must avoid deterministic interpretations that could reinforce stereotypes or cultural hierarchies. For instance, suggesting that speakers of a language with fewer color terms perceive fewer colors risks misrepresenting cognitive diversity. Respecting the languages and cultures studied is essential, including obtaining informed consent, representing communities accurately, and acknowledging the contributions of indigenous knowledge systems. Ethical research practices ensure that linguistic diversity is celebrated rather than exploited or judged.

Boroditsky’s work highlights the broader significance of linguistic diversity. Languages are not just repositories of vocabulary and grammar; they reflect the cognitive diversity of humanity. They shape how we perceive space, time, color, and social relationships. Yet, this influence is neither absolute nor restrictive. Human cognition remains remarkably adaptable, capable of navigating multiple conceptual frameworks depending on context and experience.

Reflecting on my own language experiences, I notice how linguistic structures subtly influence thought. When speaking Hindi, the specific kinship terms prompt me to be conscious of family roles and social hierarchies. Sanskrit encourages inclusivity through its neuter gender, affecting how I conceptualize objects or relationships. French’s gendered nouns make me pause and reconsider categories that I otherwise take for granted. Such experiences underscore Boroditsky’s thesis: language guides but does not confine thought.

Ultimately, recognizing the interplay between language and cognition fosters appreciation for both cultural and cognitive diversity. By observing how different languages shape perception, we gain insight into human creativity and adaptability. We also learn that linguistic differences need not divide; they enrich our understanding of the world and reveal the many ways humans experience reality. Boroditsky’s research demonstrates that language provides multiple “grooves” for thought, shaping, rather than imprisoning, our cognitive abilities.

In conclusion, Prof. Lera Boroditsky’s insights reaffirm that linguistic diversity mirrors cognitive diversity. Language influences perception and reasoning without imposing rigid limits on thought. Drawing on examples from Hindi, English, Sanskrit, and French, my reflections support this view: language shapes our understanding of the world, offering multiple perspectives while allowing the mind to remain free and flexible. By ethically studying and respecting linguistic differences, we gain a deeper appreciation of human cognition and cultural richness, confirming that the human mind is capable of extraordinary adaptability and creativity.

The article was first published on The Armchair Journal