'Over possessiveness will ruin language'

Minister for Kannada and Culture and Tourism C T Ravi said an egoistic approach towards any language would end in the extinction of that particular language.

He was speaking after inaugurating the silver jubilee celebrations of Konkani Sahitya Academy on S V T Education Institute premises on Saturday.

‘’It is necessary to develop a pride towards one’s language, but over possessiveness will ruin the language,’’ he said.

The minister stressed on the need to protect the language and culture.

‘Start from the house’

The attempts at protecting the language should begin from the house itself. If steps are taken in this direction both language and the culture can be protected for coming generations.

He said the language and culture are two faces of the same coin. It is indeed necessary to learn different languages according to the need. If a language is conserved, culture will also be protected from getting extinct, Ravi added.

It is estimated that there are nearly 1,200 languages in India and each language are interlinked.

In fact, languages nurture the growth of each other. The varied languages and cultures reflect diversified concept, simultaneously enabling the idea of unity in diversity. India is the country which has incorporated different cultures and languages, he added.

Extinction of languages

Ravi said that Kannada language had helped Konkani language to grow and lamented that the people’s misplaced love for English language had resulted in the extinction of many vernacular languages.

As many as 25 achievers were felicitated on the occasion. Writer Gokuldas Prabhu, Udupi-Chikmagalur MP Shobha Karandlaje, MLA V Sunil Kumar, Academy Chairman Jagadeesh Pai, Registrar Kumar Babu Bekkeri, Academy members among others were also present. Earlier, a colourful procession was taken out from Gandhi Maidan to the SVT college.