“ Unity in diversity is our strength.”- President Pranab Mukherjee

PIB, 13th July 2016, Darjeeling: The President of India Pranab Mukherjee today asserted that the unity in diversity is our strength.He said that despite so much ethnic,cultural,religious and linguistic diversity,we never tried to impose uniformity since we knew that how disastrous doing so could be.

Mukherjee was addressing the 202nd Birth Anniversary Function of Nepali Adi Kavi Bhanubhakta Acharya at Chowrasta in Darjeeling today.It was organized by the West Bengal Government’s Information and Culture Department.

The President stressed that though Acharya Bhanubhakta wrote in Nepali by way of bringing out the Nepali version of the Ramayana,his message was for the entire world and the humanity.He said that Acharya Bhanubhakta was instrumental in bringing various princely states of Nepal of his time together through his message and thus creating a modern Nepal. Mukherjee said that the bonding between India and Nepal remains unique.

In his speech,the West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi said that the form, the respect and the status accorded to the Nepali language by Adi Kavi Bhanubhakt Acharya was unique.He asserted that the work of taking the Ramayana, respected and worshipped in every Hindu household, to the masses in their own language has been a great job of him indeed.

Speaking on the occasion, the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced holding the meeting of the State Cabinet in Darjeeling hills too from time to time. She also announced creation of three more Development Boards in the State for various Schedule Castes of the hills.

Earlier, the President felicitated the Sahitya Academy Awardees for Nepali language.He also gave away financial assistance to a number of beneficiaries on behalf of the State Government.