Varanasi, September 13:
Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, on Saturday addressed the ‘Bhartiya Bhasha Samagam’ organised by the Hindusthan Samachar Group at Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith, Varanasi.
In his keynote address, the Lt Governor underscored the importance of linguistic harmony, mutual respect, and deeper understanding among diverse languages and dialects, saying these were essential to fostering national unity and inclusive growth.
“A linguistically harmonious society lays the foundation for rapid socio-economic development, strengthens social bonds, and promotes equality. Linguistic diversity not only preserves our cultural heritage but also enables every citizen to contribute meaningfully to nation-building,” Sinha said.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, the Lt Governor noted that under his leadership, India was reclaiming its civilizational glory while emerging as a global economic power. He cited the Prime Minister’s ‘Panch Pran’ as a roadmap for citizens to shed colonial legacies, take pride in heritage, and work towards Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat and a Viksit Bharat.
Calling upon scholars, writers, and researchers, Sinha urged the development of systems that make India’s vast ancient knowledge accessible in all mother tongues through school curricula and libraries. He emphasized that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 promotes multilingualism by encouraging mother tongue or regional languages as mediums of instruction in early education, thereby ensuring both cultural preservation and academic growth.
“We must move beyond merely praising our knowledge traditions and integrate them practically into education through the mother tongue. In today’s fast-changing world shaped by technology and innovation, our cultural treasures must be presented in ways that inspire the youth,” the Lt Governor observed.
Highlighting the role of native language in early development, he said children taught in their mother tongue, while also learning other languages, become more capable, innovative, and creative. “India itself is a living example of how linguistic diversity can drive art, science, and technology by incorporating unique perspectives,” he added.
On the occasion, distinguished scholars were felicitated for their contributions to the promotion of Indian languages.
Among those present were Dr. Neelkanth Tiwari, MLA Varanasi South; educationist Atul Bhai Kothari; Arvind Mardikar, Chairman, Hindusthan Samachar Group; Prof. Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi, Vice Chancellor, Banaras Hindu University; Prof. Anand Kumar Tyagi, Vice Chancellor, Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith; Dr. Pradeep Baba Madhok, Director, Hindusthan Samachar Group, along with prominent personalities from academia, literature, and public life.
