HYDERABAD: While students across the nation were glued to TV sets on Friday to watch the live telecast of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 6th edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha, a Class 9 student from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Ranga Reddy, had the rare opportunity to ask her question directly to the PM.
Akshara Siri Ramisetty, 14, had to clear two rounds of screening in which hundreds of students had participated to finally get the opportunity to speak with Prime Minister Modi. First, she cleared an essay writing competition. Subsequently, she was shortlisted for an interview conducted by Navodaya Vidya Samiti’s Hyderabad regional deputy commissioner T Gopala Krishna.Making use of this opportunity of a lifetime, Akshara sought the guidance of the Prime Minister, via video link, as to what the citizens should do to learn more languages as India is a multi-linguistic country.
Responding to her question, the Prime Minister highlighted India’s cultural diversity and rich heritage. He said it was a matter of great pride that India was home to hundreds of languages and thousands of dialects. He also stressed the need to know at least one regional language other than the mother tongue.
Emphasising how to learn a new language without burdening academic pursuits, the Prime Minister said, “By attempting to learn a regional language, you are not just learning about the language but also opening the doors to the history and heritage associated with the region where that language is spoken.” Drawing an analogy between ancient monuments and language, the PM said, “Just like the citizens take pride in a monument of the country that was built thousands of years ago, the citizens should take a similar pride in the Tamil language, which is known to be the oldest language on earth.
Speaking to TNIE, Akshara said she was overwhelmed by the opportunity to interact with the Prime Minister. She said that she had always wanted to learn multiple languages. “I put forward my idea before the Prime Minister and received an inspiring response,” she said.She thanked her mother, Padmaja, who works as an English language teacher in the same school, and her principal for their support.