NT BUZZ
The 25th International Mother Language Day was recently commemorated at the British Parliament’s House of Lords in London. Hosted by Baroness Sue Garden and organised by the Sanskruti Centre for Cultural Excellence, the event showcased 25 languages from India and South Asia through poetry and cultural expressions.
Professionals from various fields, including doctors, solicitors, poets, councillors, researchers, and educators, presented self-authored pieces in their native languages. South Asian languages such as Dzongkha, Dhivehi, Nepali, and Sinhalese were
also featured.
A booklet titled Rhyme and Resonance (Kaavya Naadam), containing all the poems presented, was released on the occasion. Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Bhutan and SOAS Emeritus professor Peter K. Austin addressed the gathering.
A Konkani composition by Manoharrai Sardessai, ‘Sobit Amchem Goem’, was performed as a song by Bernadette Pereira, Savira Araujo, and Paulo Dias in traditional Kunbi attire.
The event also included a classical dance on a Sanskrit composition by young children and a folk dance by Sree Lalitha Kotla on a poem by Padma Bhushan
Maithili Sharan Gupt
The program concluded with vote of thanks rendered by Dr. Ragasudha Vinjamuri, founder of Sanskruti Centre for Cultural Excellence, which was founded with the objective of generating a greater understanding of heritage and cultural diversity of India and South Asia.
Apart from training and presenting classical and folk dances, the Centre has also been consistently fostering community engagement promoting languages and has been encouraging people to learn and write in respective mother tongues.
