NewKerala.com

India's Multilingual Heritage: A Civilisational Bridge, Says Delhi Speaker

Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta addressed the Valedictory Session of the Third International Indian Language Conference, framing India's multilingualism as a civilisational strength that fosters dialogue and accommodation. He emphasised that the country's linguistic history is one of continuity through diversity, with both written and oral traditions sustaining rich knowledge legacies. The conference, themed 'Languages, Literature, Youth and Technology', saw participation from scholars from over 70 countries and was attended by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. Gupta commended the event for showcasing language as a comprehensive form of thought, art, and expression.

Key Points: India's Linguistic Diversity is Strength, Not Division

  • Language as a bridge to past and future
  • Coexistence of diverse language families
  • Value of oral and written traditions
  • Global forum for Indian languages
3 min read

Multilingual India is a symbol of civilisational strength: Delhi Speaker Vijender Gupta

Delhi Speaker Vijender Gupta highlights India's multilingual heritage as a symbol of civilisational continuity and dialogue at an international language conference.

"In India, linguistic diversity has never meant division; it has meant dialogue. - Vijender Gupta"

New Delhi, Jan 11

Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta said on Sunday that language is not merely a medium of communication but a living bridge between our civilisational past and our democratic future.

Addressing the Valedictory Session of the Third International Indian Language Conference, Gupta said that the history of Indian languages is a testament to continuity through diversity.

He emphasised that languages in India have evolved through sustained interaction among communities, faiths and knowledge traditions. Even languages that are no longer spoken, he remarked, have left behind rich intellectual legacies that continue to shape living languages today.

"Our linguistic inheritance is layered; it is not a story of disappearance but of enduring memory," he said.

The conference, organised on the theme 'Languages, Literature, Youth and Technology', brought together eminent scholars, writers, linguists and cultural thinkers from India and abroad.

The valedictory ceremony was attended by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who delivered the keynote address.

The programme was presided over by Ram Bahadur Rai, President, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).

Delhi Assembly Speaker Gupta said Indians grow up navigating multiple languages in everyday life, each suited to different contexts of expression.

This multilingual practice, he said, cultivates habits of listening and accommodation, allowing diverse linguistic families - Indo-European, Dravidian, Austro-Asiatic and Tibeto-Burman - to coexist in a shared civilisational space.

"In India, linguistic diversity has never meant division; it has meant dialogue," Gupta remarked.

He also reflected on the evolution of writing traditions and oral heritage in Indian languages.

From ancient scripts to oral tribal traditions, he underlined that both written and unwritten languages have sustained knowledge through narratives, songs and rituals.

He stressed that the value of a language cannot be measured only through literary record, but through lived experience and cultural memory embedded in communities.

Gupta commended the organisers for creating a truly international forum of scholarship. Over the three days, the conference hosted 43 sessions including book and art exhibitions, film screenings, theatrical performances and cultural presentations, offering a comprehensive experience of language as thought, art and expression.

With participation from scholars and delegates representing over 70 countries, he said, the conference reaffirmed the global relevance of Indian languages in contemporary intellectual discourse.

Others who attended the event included Ramesh C. Gaur, Dean (Administration), Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts; Anil Joshi, President, Vaishvik Hindi Parivar and Director, International Indian Language Conference; Ravi Prakash Tekchandani, Dean, Department of Indian Languages, University of Delhi; Shyam Parande, General Secretary, Antar-Rashtriya Sahayog Parishad; A. Vinod, Coordinator, Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas; and Vinaysheel Chaturvedi, Director, Vaishvik Hindi Parivar.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Absolutely agree that language is a bridge, not a barrier. But I wish the conference and our leaders would talk more about preserving endangered tribal and regional languages. We celebrate diversity, but are we doing enough to fund and document these "unwritten" traditions before they are lost?
A
Aman W
"Linguistic diversity has never meant division; it has meant dialogue." What a beautiful and true statement. In my office in Bangalore, we have team meetings where people casually switch between Kannada, Hindi, English, and Telugu. It's chaotic but it works! It's the Indian way.
S
Sarah B
As a foreign scholar who attended this conference, I was deeply moved. The depth of India's linguistic heritage is astounding. The point about oral traditions and songs carrying knowledge is universal, but the scale and continuity here is unique. The world has much to learn from this model of coexistence.
K
Karthik V
Good to see focus on youth and technology. My daughter learns her mother tongue Odia through apps and cartoons online. If we want languages to thrive, we must meet the youth where they are - on digital platforms. Jai Hind!
N
Nikhil C
While the sentiment is noble, sometimes I feel these conferences are just talk. On the ground, regional language speakers often face discrimination in national-level jobs and education. Celebrating diversity is easy, ensuring equitable respect and opportunity for all language groups is the real challenge.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50