Centre for promoting regional languages to be set up at Kurukshetra University

The Department of Hindi and the Department of Youth and Cultural Affairs, Kurukshetra University, jointly organised a state-level poetry recitation competition on the occasion of Hindi Diwas.

Students from various institutions and departments participated in the poetry competition. The first three prizes carried Rs 5,100, Rs 3,100 and Rs 2,100, respectively, besides five consolation prizes of Rs 1,100 each. A poetry collection titled ‘Hindi Kavyadhara’, authored by Ashok Kumar of the Police Department, was also released on the occasion.

On the occasion, Jimmy Sharma, Deputy Director, Public Relations, said a Literary Centre would be established at Kurukshetra University through the Sahitya Akademi to promote literature, language and research. The centre would be the first of its kind in the country. It will focus on Hindi as well as the preservation, promotion and research of regional languages and dialects including Kaurvi, Bangru, Bagri, Braj, Mewati and Ahirwati.

The chief guest, Varun Gulati, Secretary, Sahitya Akademi, said Hindi can’t be confined to a single definition or linguistic form. “Its diverse traditions, dialects and linguistic expressions have evolved through the contributions of different languages and cultures and needed to be understood and appreciated,” he added.

Referring to well-known lines of Bharatendu Harishchandra, he said a person’s relationship with their language, soil, homeland and cultural traditions deserved serious reflection. Hindi Diwas, he added, should not merely be an occasion to remember the language but an opportunity to reflect on how deeply Hindi has remained a part of contemporary life.

KU Registrar Prof Virender Pal said Hindi was not merely a medium of communication but a rich and evolving language that has readily assimilated words from other languages and made them part of its own linguistic structure. He further said, “Hindi has a simple and scientific system of pronunciation as the pronunciation of most Hindi words closely corresponded to their written form.”

Naresh Kaushal, editor, Dainik Tribune, highlighted the role of satire and cartoons in bringing serious social and political issues before the public in an effective manner. Pritam Singh, Director, Dr BR Ambedkar Studies Centre, KU, said no society or nation could achieve genuine progress without its mother tongue.

Prof Mahasingh Poonia, Chairperson, Department of Hindi, said Hindi had carved out a strong identity for itself globally. Tracing the linguistic evolution of Hindi, he said Sanskrit had played a foundational role in the development of the language through Prakrit, Pali and Apabhramsha and subsequent linguistic traditions.