Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the month-long Kashi Tamil Sangamam in Varanasi. The Prime Minister said this function is being organised at a time when country is celebrating Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav and the programme will become a platform for national integration.
Referring to ‘Panch Pran’, the Prime Minister said that a country with a rich heritage should be proud of its legacy. He said despite having one of the world’s oldest living languages, i.e. Tamil, we lack in honouring it fully. “This is the responsibility of 130 crore Indians to preserve the legacy of Tamil and enrich it. If we ignore Tamil we do a great disservice to the nation and if we keep Tamil confined in restrictions we will do great harm to it. We have to remember to remove linguistic differences and establish emotional unity”, the Prime Minister said.
The Sangamam started on 17th of November when first batch of around 200 delegates started their trip from Tamil Nadu and reached last night at Varanasi railway station. A rousing welcome was given to them at the station. The Sangamam is being organized by the Government of India as a part of “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” and to uphold the Spirit of “Ek Bharat Shreshta Bharat”.
The objective of Sangamam is to rediscover, reaffirm and celebrate the age-old links between Tamil Nadu and Kashi – two of the country’s most important and ancient seats of learning. The aims to provide an opportunity for scholars, students, philosophers, traders, artisans, artists and people from several walks of life from the two regions to come together, share their knowledge, culture and best practices and learn from each others’ experience. The endeavour is in sync with the emphasis of National Education Policy 2020 on integrating the wealth of Indian Knowledge System with modern system of knowledge. Over 2500 delegates of 12 different categories from Tamil Nadu will be visiting Kashi in 8 different batches during the one-month-long programme.
Along with this, a month-long exhibition of handlooms, handicrafts, ODOP products, books, documentaries, cuisine, art forms, history and tourist places of the two regions has been put up in Varanasi. There is an exhibition by the Central Bureau of Communication focusing on the Tamil Heroes of Indian Freedom Struggle also.
Banaras Hindu University (BHU) is one of the host organisations and the knowledge partner of the Sangamam. BHU has planned a number of academic events for the various groups visiting from Tamil Nadu. The university will be organising interactive sessions on different themes like Literature, Heritage, rural scenario, culture and identity among others.