President Ram Nath Govind yesterday (21 February) noted that learning the language of another state was beneficial not only for the individual but also was in national interest.

“Learning the language of another region or another state can be very educative. It can open a window to a culture that is at once familiar and new. In Delhi, he had observed cases of north Indian school-children learning Tamil,” said the President while addressing a gathering of Dakshina Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha in Chennai.

The society was founded by Mahatma Gandhi 100 years ago to work for promotion of Hindi in the southern states. Govind also said that twinning programmes between different states are popularising the language of one region in another. “Such steps reinforce national harmony," he asserted.

Citing examples of eminent freedom fighters, the President emphasised how languages can cut across barriers and bring a nation together in difficult times.

“The poetry of Subramania Bharati inspired not just people in Tamil Nadu but all over the country. In the same manner, the liberating ideas of Periyar– one of our foremost advocates of human dignity – were not limited by language or geography,” he added.

Learning a different language also had practical value when India is experiencing significant internal migration. It added “value to an individual’s CV – and it adds value to India.”

Similar Sentiments Echoed By Shiv Nadar

In a recently delivered student address, billionaire tech entrepreneur and philanthropist Shiv Nadar advised the students of Tamil Nadu to learn Hindi saying that it will be immensely useful to them in the future and stand them in good stead in their professional career.

Also Read: Abu Dhabi Says ‘Jai Hindi’, Includes It As Its Third Official Court Language

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