Well, I'm not sure. Scripts can be pretty useful... but a necessity? However, in my opinion, when you choose a language, you should pick the ones of those around you, then expand later on. I'm not saying close the box, but if your using the same language as many you communicate with, it's easier to learn and share ideas. Python is definitely one of those popular languages, so I think it's important to use.
I'm not saying you have to learn popular languages. but that's my preference.