Literary figures play essential role in connecting youth with culture: Ladakh LG

Ladakh Lieutenant Governor R K Mathur on Monday said literary figures have an important role to play in charting the course of society and connecting the youth with the Ladakhi culture and literature.

Some of the petroglyphs found in the Union Territory are more than 10,000 years old, Mathur said, highlighting the need for the local youth to have faith in their identity, culture and rich heritage as it would enable promoting a strong society.

Virtually attending the Ladakh Literary Meet 2022 organised by Ladakh Academy of Art, Culture and Languages (LAACL) in Leh, Mathur said, ''Unlike the general impression of people from outside Ladakh as it being a remote area, this trans-Himalayan region has a very old strong culture and identity.'' The LG said the Ladakh administration is making efforts to compile a Ladakhi dictionary of around 25,000 words, which will also include around 4,500 articles and enumerate over 1,000 folk songs of the region.

Stressing the need for the protection of the Ladakhi language, he said society has a crucial role to play in this regard.

''The administration, both the Hill Councils and Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) will make efforts to raise awareness about Ladakhi literature and culture among young students in schools and colleges along with putting up books in local languages in the district libraries,'' he said.

''There is a need for the youth to have a strong base so that they are not affected by social media culture and language,'' he said, stressing on the need to outreach the young generation in schools and colleges.

Mathur also highlighted the need for young students to learn the local language, understand the rich folk songs, and literature and be proud of their heritage.

He said the UT administration and the Hill Councils will facilitate a literary meeting with scholars and literary figures from other parts of the country so that the literary figures from Ladakh could interact with them and the others would also know about the rich history and culture of the region.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)