Tuesday, 28 December 2021 | PNS | Bageshwar
Preserving the Kumauni language remained the main topic of the National Conference for Kumauni Language in Bageshwar which was attended by language experts from all corners of the country. A Kumauni library was also inaugurated in Devika Laghu Vatika as an initiative to preserve the language.
The chief guest of the event, Bageshwar MLA Chandan Ram Das talked about taking initiatives to preserve the language to help the young generation to connect with it. He said that a language or a dialect is not just a means of communication but also a carrier of cultural values from one generation to another. He said that regional languages are being promoted in the new national education policy (NEP) 2020 which will also prove to be a milestone to connect children with the language. The special guest of the event, former district Judge Jaidev Singh also said that people are recognised by their language and the people of Kumaon must work on preserving this language. Senior author and acclaimed litterateur Ghananand Pandey ‘Megh’ from Lucknow also spoke about prose and poetry in the Kumaoni language.
Another litterateur Gopal Joshi also said that the people of Kumaon will survive if the language will survive and only then the culture can be preserved. He also appealed to the government to include the Kumaoni dialect in the Eighth Schedule. A Kumaoni library was also inaugurated in Devika Laghu Vatika to connect the younger generation with the language and culture of Kumaon. This was followed by a seminar of acclaimed authors and experts at Narendra Palace. They said that the government talks about preserving the regional language but does not take initiatives to do actually preserve it. They opined that the Kumaoni language should be taught to the students of primary classes in all government and non-government schools of the Kumaon division. Kumaoni language should also be used in signboards, hoardings and the nameplates of all government and public places to promote it among people, stated the experts in the seminar.
