Chennai: India is a nation of great linguistic diversity and language should be seen as a means of communication. While it is important that proficiency in the mother tongue is fully supported and encouraged, it must be understood that learning other languages helps us acquire additional knowledge and communicate with people from other regions and nations, said Governor Banwarilal Purohit.
Participating at the valedictory function of the 90th anniversary celebrations of Samskrita Academy, Madras, here recently, he said the spirit of linguistic brotherhood is alive and widely prevalent in India.
Steps taken in the right direction will enable the people of India to embrace each other linguistically so that the benefits of literary and cultural treasures that have been inherited from our ancestors are passed on to succeeding generations, he said.
Sanskrit, which has been promoted by Samskrita Academy for 90 years, will be extremely useful, since the language is the mother from which many languages of India have been derived.
“Sanskrit is a cultural form whose expanse extends into a variety of sciences extremely useful to mankind. It is also a source of joy and inspiration for it has given us Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita, the brilliant works of Kalidas and so many other literary masterpieces,” the Governor said.
The academy honoured six stalwarts for their contribution in their respective fields. They are Srinivasachar (93) and Ranganatha Sharma (91) both Sanskrit scholars, Dr V Shanta of Cancer Institute, V P Dhananjayan and Shanta Dhananjayan (dance) and T Satyamurthy (archaeology).
Madras High Court judge Justice Anitha Sumanth, Samskrita Academy president K Srinivasan and secretary Sita Sundar Ram participated.