Never forget your roots, no matter where you go: Hindi council national President
Speaking as the chief guest, Dr Yarlagadda said, 'The land may differ, but the soil is the same. The language may change, but its sweetness is universal.' He said that language is the foundation of one's identity and staying connected to it through study, translation, writing, and reading strengthens cultural roots.
Addressing the ongoing national debate over the three-language formula, he clarified that it promotes linguistic harmony rather than imposing Hindi. 'The formula gives complete freedom to citizens - one mother tongue, one foreign language, and one other Indian language,' he noted.
Dr Yarlagadda praised Devdas Gandhi, son of Mahatma Gandhi, for promoting the language through the Dakshina Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha while residing at Rajagopalachari's house.
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Described as a 'bowl-shaped depression', the north-eastern part of Kutch resembled, as the Imperial Gazetteer of India described, '… large tract of salt with dazzling whiteness … Except a stray bird, a herd of wild asses, antelope, or an occasional caravan, no sign of life breaks the desolate loneliness'. Millennia ago, the Rann of Kutch was far from a desolate landscape. Archaeological and geological evidence reveals a thriving hub of life during the Harappan period, where settlements like Dholavira and Lothal flourished. The Rann of Kutch was indeed a bustling navigational channel, offering safe harbours for overseas trade and inland commerce along riverine routes that connected to the Sindh region. 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