Teach children at school ‘linguistic tolerance’: Centre

The Union Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry has written to all states and union territories recommending that five sentences from different language be read out by senior students during the morning assembly in schools under its ‘Bhasha Sangam’ programme.

‘Vanakam’ is the Tamil equivalent of English word ‘hello’, ‘namaste’ in Hindi, ‘khurumjari’ in Manipuri’, ‘aadaab’ in Urdu and ‘johar’ in Santhali.

The ministry has also asked schools to invite teachers, parents, government servants from these states to read out commonly used sentences for which the ministry has even compiled a booklet. (HT File Photo)

School students will soon learn lessons like these on a daily basis during their morning assembly as part of the government push to promote national integration and “linguistic tolerance”.

The Union Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry has written to all states and union territories recommending that five sentences from different language be read out by senior students during the morning assembly in schools under its ‘Bhasha Sangam’ programme.

“It could be Tamil on one day, Assamese on another, Punjabi, Bengali, or any of the twenty two languages under Schedule VIII of the Constitution. The purpose is to familiarise every child with simple dialogues in all these languages to enhance linguistic tolerance and promote national integration,” a senior official in the ministry said.

The program is an attempt to give multiple exposure to students at an early age, the official added.

The ministry has also asked schools to invite teachers, parents, government servants from these states to read out commonly used sentences for which the ministry has even compiled a booklet.

Teachers may address the students and converse with them in the language of the day and encourage students to do the same, the HRD communique to the states reads.

“This is a novel way of celebrating diversity. We must also find more ways of celebrating the diversity of our country,” said Ameeta Wattal, principal of Springdales School, New Delhi.