If the younger generation is not taught to love Malayalam, the language will not stand the test of time, poet Sugathakumari has said.
She was inaugurating a meet organised by the Thiruvananthapuram District Library Council at the Public Library (State Central Library) here on Tuesday to create awareness of the need to accord classical status for Malayalam language. A language was the identity of its people and the younger generation was on the verge of losing that identity, she said.
“The new generation does no love Malayalam. They have no idea of the rich regional literature and can hardly recognise regional poets and writers. If we are not fiercely supportive of the mother tongue, the language will die,” Ms. Sugathakumari said.
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The older generation cannot think of a day without the company of books, but today television and computers lured children into a different world.
The gadgets were taking children away from books. Mothers should tell their children of the State’s culture and traditions, she added.
An oath-taking ceremony followed the inaugural function, where those gathered promised to promote Malayalam and take the initiative in helping the younger generation understand it better. Writer Rosemary read out the pledge to those present, who formed a human chain with books in hands to symbolise the need to inculcate in children the habit of reading and good literature.
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Former president of the District Library Council Kadakampally Surendran said the present government had not been supporting the council’s initiatives.
“The government has failed to provide grants to libraries in time and employees have been denied allowances. If this continues we will have to resort to a strong agitation,” Mr. Surendran said addressing the employees of various libraries, who were in the city for a Women’s Cultural Workshop conducted by the council on the day.