London, February 21 Renditions of poetry in Bhojpuri, reflective verses in Sanskrit, musical notes from Himachal Pradesh, and the folk dance beats of Bihu from Assam were among the highlights as the India House in London marked International Mother Language Day.
The United Nations (UN) recognized linguistic celebration, marked annually on February 21, is designed to highlight the role of multilingual education in promoting inclusion and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
The High Commission of India's gathering on Friday coincided with the celebrations of the Foundation Days of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Tripura, and Uttar Pradesh, organized to showcase a vibrant diaspora representing all parts of India in the UK.
"The most remarkable aspect of what makes India incredible is its institutionalization of diversity within its states," said Vikram Doraiswami, the High Commissioner of India to the UK.
"When we celebrate all of that, including through our National Song 'Vande Mataram', we are celebrating India in its widest, most inclusive, and most comprehensive sense; and in every part of India, we have every aspect of our diversity celebrated.
"There is no part of India in which our traditions, our cultures, and our religions are not present, right down to the villages," he said.
Among the speakers at the event were Dr. M N Nandakumara, director of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan UK, who shared his thoughts in his mother tongue, Kannada, and also recited Sanskrit shlokas to highlight the importance of younger generations staying connected with their roots and language.
"There is no wealth in this world that can be equated with wisdom, and language is a path to that wisdom," he said.
Supriya Deshpande, co-founder of the UK-based GaMaBhaNa social initiative, shared insights from her work offering free Marathi language classes and a free Marathi library to preserve Maharashtrian culture and promote learning in the West.
Community leaders, professionals, and students dressed in traditional outfits representing their states participated in the musical performances.
