VP urges governors to pitch in preserve local culture

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday batted for the preservation of local culture and tradition of various places and urged governors and lieutenant governors to ensure that local languages get due recognition.

Addressing the 50th annual conference of governors and lieutenant governors here, Vice President Naidu sought to draw the participants' attention towards the rich cultural traditions and linguistic and literary heritage of each state, and stressed the need for their preservation.

You must support efforts to preserve local culture, festivals and food varieties. You must encourage healthy foods and healthy lifestyle. You must encourage the preservation of local art forms and programmes that support local artisans and craftsmen, Naidu was quoted as saying by a statement issued by the Vice President Secretariat.

He also asked them to ensure that local languages get their due place in the administration and wherever public interfaces exist.

Calling the language as the repository of the culture of a region, Naidu urged the governors to actively encourage state governments to preserve and promote mother tongues and use them as a medium of instruction at least at the primary school level.

The vice president also drew governors' attention to some colonial practices, which, he said, needed to be reviewed.

For example, addressing high dignitaries as "Excellency" and adopting the cap and gown dress in the university convocations can be modified to bring in "Indian touch".

Expressing concern over the unsustainable water use, the vice president also called for urgent need for water conservation.