Shillong, Jan 31: A two-day Conference on Bharatiya Bhasha Pariwar was jointly organized by the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU), Regional Campus, Shillong, and the Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti, Ministry of Education, Government of India, New Delhi, during 29-30 January 2026, at the Campus premises.
Speaking at the Inaugural Session, Prof. Mousumi Guha Banerjee, Director, EFLUniversity,Regional Campus, Shillong, welcomed the dignitaries and participants and expressed gratitude to the Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti, Ministry of Education, Government of India, New Delhi, for its collaboration.
She reiterated the Campus’s commitment to innovative teaching and research practices, emphasizing interdisciplinary scholarship focused on the ethnicities, cultures, values, and knowledge systems of Northeast India. She noted that the Conference further strengthens interlinguistic understanding – a vision the Campus intends to carry forward.
The Chairman of the Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti, Ministry of Education, Government of India, New Delhi, Padma Shri Chamu Krishna Shastry , in his address as the Distinguished Guest, quoted the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi Ji, in stating that all mother tongues of India are national languages.
He emphasized that, although India has 1,369 languages, as per the 2011 census, and these languages are classified in various ways, such classifications should not be used for political division, but rather as a source of unity.
India’s linguistic plurality reflects the idea of Bhashayein Anek, Bhav Ek – many languages, one shared emotion and connection. While linguistic diversity is the country’s beauty, its true strength lies in unity; without unity, diversity cannot remain stable.
He argued that India has one common culture with many expressions, not multiple and separate cultures. Differences in languages do not imply differences in people or cultures; instead, they form one language family.
He also notes that linguistic conflicts were largely created during the colonial rule through agenda-driven politics. Therefore, he calls for an integration of all linguistic expressions into a unified Indian language family to promote cooperation, integration, and national unity.
Dr. B. D. R. Tiwari, IAS, Commissioner and Secretary to the Government, Elections Department, and Chief Electoral Officer, Meghalaya,delivered his address as the Guest of Honour. He emphasized that languages and cultures exist in an interrelated continuum.
While Sanskrit is the oldest written language, the Northeast is home to numerous languages and ethnic communities, each possessing sacred significance beyond religious usage.
He observed that divisions often weaken community bonds and stressed the role of language as a key instrument of socialization. Calling for a departure from colonial modes of thought, he urged the adoption of indigenous perspectives on India’s knowledge systems and cultural heritage.
Delivering his address as the Chief Guest, Prof. Nani Gopal Mahanta, Vice Chancellor of Gauhati University, Assam, highlighted that every language embodies a unique worldview, a historical lineage, and a unique knowledge.
He noted that the Northeast, with nearly 300 ethnicities and languages, offers a fertile ground for social and anthropological research. Unity in diversity, he remarked, does not imply homogeneity but a shared civilizational framework.
He cautioned that efforts at documentation have often focused on difference and marginality, overlooking the region’s role as a cultural corridor to South and East Asia. Emphasizing linguistic convergence over divergence, he stressed the importance of contact rather than isolation.
Prof. Mahanta also underscored the critical role of technology in preserving endangered languages with dwindling speaker populations, while warning against machine-driven processes that may inadvertently erase linguistic nuances.
Universities, he asserted, must act as custodians by engaging communities in capacity building, documentation, folklore compilation, and the creation of digital humanities resources. He also remarkably expressed Gauhati University’s willingness to collaborate with EFLU and other institutions committed to language preservation.
In his Presidential Address, Prof. N. Nagaraju, Hon’ble ViceChancellor, EFLUniversity,Hyderabad and Regional Campuses: Shillong and Lucknow, reaffirmed the University’s commitment to advancing language research.
While all languages are constitutionally recognized, he cautioned that languages cannot survive without safeguarding the communities that speak them. He observed that linguistic identity has often been mobilized to highlight differences rather than affinities, leading to tensions despite India’s linguistic federal structure.
True celebration of diversity, he emphasized, requires recognizing language as a bridge for human development and cultural exchange. Universities, he concluded, play a central role in preserving endangered languages by training scholars and fostering inter-University collaboration through Conferences such as this.
Two books, Bharatiya Bhasha Pariwar: A New Framework in Linguistics and Collected Studies on Bharatiya Bhasha Pariwar: Perspectives and Horizons, were also launched during the Inaugural Session by the Dignitaries.
The Two-day Conference also featured research papers and thematic talks by prominent scholars on multilingualism, oral and traditional practices, use of technology and AI tools, and several topics related to preservation and conservation of linguistic and ethnic diversities.
