Regional Official Language Conference and Award Ceremony held in Mysuru

Mysuru: “Our Indian culture is deeply rooted in history and knowledge,” remarked Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, while presiding over the Regional Official Language Conference and Award Ceremony for the South and South-West Regions.

The event, held recently at the Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) Convocation Hall, was organised by the Official Language Division of Union Ministry of Home Affairs in collaboration with Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL).

The Minister highlighted India’s rich heritage, stating, “India’s deep connection to history and knowledge attracts foreigners to learn our languages. Indian scholars must focus on societal welfare.”

He underscored the significance of embracing all Indian languages, describing them as “Ambassadors of our country’s multiculturalism.” Rai emphasised that while learning any language enriches understanding, cherishing and respecting Indian languages is paramount.

Hindi unifying link

Rai also spotlighted the global relevance of Hindi, asserting, “Hindi is not just a language for South India; it is emerging as an international language. The Central Government is committed to promoting mother tongues and Hindi plays a vital role in national integration, as envisioned by Mahatma Gandhi, who established the South India Hindi Prachar Sabha.”

He added, “Hindi must remain the nation’s official communication language while being developed alongside local languages. It should serve as a unifying link in a linguistically diverse country.”

In his inaugural address, Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan said, “Learning any language broadens knowledge and there should be no discrimination against any language.” Reciting a Sanskrit shloka, he likened Indian languages to the dialects of Goddess Saraswati and urged people to embrace them.

Reliance on foreign languages

The Bihar Governor encouraged Indians to minimise reliance on foreign languages like English for inter-regional communication, advocating for efforts to learn and use Indian languages instead.

Mysuru-Kodagu MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar celebrated multilingualism, stating, “The principle of being a Kannadiga and an Indian is beautifully captured in our State song. Our cultural diversity and multilingualism are our greatest strengths, evident in the varied languages and dialects within my Lok Sabha Constituency.”

The event also honoured 32 officials and staff from Central Government offices and banks across Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Lakshadweep for their outstanding contributions to promoting official language usage.

KSOU Vice-Chancellor Sharanappa V. Halse, Tamil Nadu Central University Vice-Chancellor M. Krishnan, Punjab National Bank Executive Director Binod Kumar, Secretary of the Department of Official Language, Ministry of Home Affairs Anshuli Arya, Joint Secretary Meenakshi Jolly, Joint Director Rajesh Kumar Srivastav, Deputy Secretary Anil Kumar and Bengaluru Divisional Director Anirban Kumar Biswas and CIIL Director Shailendra Mohan, were present.