Linguistic diversity is cornerstone of India's civilization, says Naidu

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday said India's linguistic diversity is the cornerstone of country's ancient civilization. Inaugurating a webinar on "Fostering Multilingualism for Inclusion in Education and Society" on the occasion of International Mother Language Day Naidu stressed on the need for usage of mother tongue.He expressed happiness that this year, the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture and IGNCA are organizing the four-day virtual event to preserve and promote awareness among the people. He said language links the past with the present and is the depositor of collective wisdom. He said mother tongue, which is an important link to socio-cultural identity, needs to be preserved, promoted and propagated.Naidu said it is unfortunate and detrimental that children are being educated in a language which is alien and not spoken at home. He emphasised that the initial education of a kid must be through the mother tongue.He said educators and parents must take cognizance of this fact and primary education must be in the mother tongue. He said usage of the mother tongue must be included in governance. 

International Mother Language Day or Matribhasha Diwas is observed every year on February 21 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism around the world. The idea to celebrate the Day first came from Bangladesh. UNESCO decided to celebrate February 21 as International Mother Language Day in November, 1999. On May 16, 2007 the United Nations General Assembly through a resolution called upon member states "to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of the world". By the same resolution, the general assembly proclaimed 2008 as the International Year of Languages, to “promote unity in diversity and international understanding, through multilingualism and multiculturalism.” On International Mother Language Day 2021, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu greeted the nation in different Indian languages.

We must promote the use of mother tongue in all spheres - from primary education to governance. We must encourage the creative expression of our thoughts and ideas in our own languages! #MotherLanguageDay

— Vice President of India (@VPSecretariat) February 21, 2021

He took to Twitter in English, Hindi, Punjabi, Kannada, Gujarati, Malayalam, Bengali, Telugu, Odia among other Indian languages to send his message on International Mother Language Day.The theme of the day this year, "Fostering multilingualism for inclusion in education and society", thus encourages us to support multilingualism and the use of mother tongues, both at school and in everyday life. This is essential, because when 40% of the world's inhabitants do not have access to education in the language they speak or understand best, it hinders their learning, as well as their access to heritage and cultural expressions.