A suggestion from The University Grants Commission (UGC) states that a series of activities higher education institutions can organise to mark the Bharatiya Bhasha Utsav being celebrated on December 11 to create ‘language harmony’ and develop a conducive environment for learning Indian languages. The directive followed recommendations of a committee the Union education ministry constituted last year to promote Indian languages.

In its guidelines for celebrating the Utsav to universities and colleges, the UGC last week asked them to organise it in a ‘grand manner’ and promote ‘language harmony’ among students and society’s younger people for nurturing India’s rich cultural oneness. In a letter to the institutes, the UGC said, “The scale of the festival/Utsav may be different depending on the level of celebration and participation.”

It asked universities and colleges to organise exhibitions for introducing “interesting words” in Indian languages, greetings in different languages such as Namaste, Khurumjari, Pranam, Vanakkam, Nomoshkar, Kem Chho, Sat-Shri-Akal, and Namaskaragalu, etc.

The UGC said, “The exhibition should highlight that all Indian languages with a large body of common vocabularies, common sentence patterns, common roots, common vowels and consonants, and common underlying grammar have a common ancestry and are one of the great unifying factors of our country.”

The universities have been asked to put up ‘language stalls’ dedicated to at least one Indian language from the states across the country. “Each stall will offer interesting information about the languages of the concerned state or region…Interesting activities at the stall should also be organized to make participants realize that for a person who knows one Indian language, learning another Indian language is not like learning a new language.”

The UGC also suggested a “my language, my signature” campaign to encourage students to develop a habit of signing in their mother tongues wherever possible. It has asked universities to encourage students, faculties, and parents to opt for ethnic clothing such as dhoti, kurta, and shades of saree showing India’s rich cultural heritage and history.

“Organise language games, facilitate multilingual students, and set up a technical zone consisting of tech-savvy amenities and facilities showing different tools and software that students may use to learn, read and write in multiple languages.”

The UGC has asked higher education institutes to appoint nodal officers for coordinating events at their respective institutions and asked them to submit the details by December 12 of the events being organised.

It has suggested posters and banners underlining why Indian languages should not be classified in “divisive colonial connotations” and cultural performances.