Gangtok, Sikkim Legislative Assembly Speaker Mingma Norbu Sherpa on Saturday called for preserving indigenous languages and cultural traditions, saying mother tongues and traditional attire are vital to protecting community identity and strengthening national unity.
The programme was organised to mark the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India’s first Deputy Prime Minister, with tributes paid to his role in unifying the country after Independence. Ministers Arun Kumar Upreti and Bhoj Raj Rai, MLA Pamin Lepcha, senior government officials and other dignitaries attended the programme. Recalling Patel’s contribution to the integration of around 562 princely states into the Indian Union, Sherpa said his leadership laid the foundation for India’s political unity and territorial integrity. He recalled the contribution of Patel’s elder brother, Vithalbhai Patel, who became the first elected Indian president of the Central Legislative Assembly in 1925, and highlighted his efforts to protect the dignity and independence of the chair during British rule.
He said unity in diversity must be reflected in everyday life and appreciated the initiatives of the state government under Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang to promote traditional attire and cultural heritage. The Speaker highlighted the government’s initiative encouraging people to wear traditional attire on Thursdays and said legislators in the state Assembly were also encouraged to wear their respective traditional dresses. He said Patel’s life continued to inspire people to rise above caste, religious and cultural differences and work for the larger interests of the nation.
Addressing the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas programme at Chintan Bhawan here, Sherpa expressed concern over the declining use of indigenous languages among younger generations and urged parents to ensure that mother tongues are passed on to the next generation.
