The Central Institute of Indian Languages launched its first set of multi-lingual books for children here on Thursday, with the release of various titles in Tamil-English.
The colourful books, with plenty of visuals, have moral stories written by children and teachers. The books are part of an endeavour to promote reading in one's mother tongue.
Speakers at the function highlighted the diminishing importance of mother tongue and other influences that are affecting the reading habit in children.
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Rajesh Sachadev, former director, Central Institute of Indian Languages, said reading books were an attempt to value our diversity as well as to promote a harmonious multi-lingual India. “These books in a way are doing the role played by grandmothers,” he added.
CIIL has already launched its bi-lingual books in Kannada and Telugu, and would next be brining out books in Marathi, Gujarati and Oriya.
Mahendra Kumar Mishra, Writer and Critic on Tribal Culture, said it is the co-existence of languages that make a country happy.
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Commending the books for the originality in content and presentation, T.S. Sridhar, Additional Chief Secretary, School Education, said these books should be a good way to appreciate one's mother tongue. The Department will also see if these books can be integrated to its SSA initiatives, he said.
M. Rajaram, Secretary, Tamil Development, Religious Endowments and Information Department, said there is no shortage of books on moral values in Tamil but there is always scope for more.