Naidu springs surprise by speaking in 22 languages

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : Highlighting the importance of preserving, protecting and promoting Indian languages, the Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu on January 20, 2020, spoke in 22 languages at an event to mark International Mother Language Day in New Delhi. He urged all the citizens to take a pledge to promote mother tongue and also learn other languages.

The Vice President called for a national movement to promote Indian Languages in a big way, and said: “When we protect and promote mother tongues, we protect and promote linguistic and cultural diversity also.” Calling for a link between the language and employment, the Vice President said that knowledge of Indian languages must be made compulsory for recruitment up to a certain level in government jobs. Stating that language should become a catalyst for inclusive development and growth, Naidu stressed on the need to use local language in administration, according to a PIB release.

Naidu also said that medium of instruction should be mandatory in languages up to high school level. He appreciated the Supreme Court for providing judgment copies in six languages and wanted all other subordinate courts to follow the same.

Emphasizing the importance of protecting and conserving India’s unique and rich linguistic heritage, Naidu said that celebration of Matribhashas should not remain a one-day affair and wanted all citizens to use their respective mother tongue on a daily basis. Observing that more than 19,500 languages and dialects are spoken in India as mother tongues, he said that the languages were a repository of collective knowledge and wisdom amassed over the course of the long journey of our vibrant civilisation.

Naidu said that Indian languages have always been celebrated for their scientific structure and phonetic, uncomplicated spellings and clear grammatical rules. “Our languages have been vehicles of our vast and highly sophisticated ancient, medieval, and modern literature,” he added. Naidu said that Mahatma Gandhi had reminded the country that mother tongue should not be neglected but this did not mean that one need not learn other languages like English.

Pointing out that a language evolves with human evolution and gets nourished by constant use, the Vice President said, “If you do not use a language, you lose it. When a language declines, it takes with it an entire knowledge system.” Naidu  appreciated the HRD Ministry for organising the celebration of International Mother Language Day in one lakh schools across the country on February 21.

Earlier, on his arrival, the Vice President was welcomed in 22 Indian languages by students dressed in traditional Indian attire representing the vibrant culture of different states. He also visited bookstalls set up by various central governmental institutions.