Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hailed Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency, and Tamil Nadu as timeless centres of tradition and civilisation and stated folks ought to try to take away linguistic variations and foster emotional unity within the nation.

Modi was delivering the inaugural speech at Kashi Tamil Sangamam right here when he highlighted that the 2 areas are the centres of the world’s oldest languages – Sanskrit and Tamil.

“Both Kashi and Tamil Nadu are timeless centres for culture and civilisation. One (Kashi) has Sanskrit and Tamil Nadu is gifted with Tamil, the country’s oldest spoken language. If in Kashi there is Baba Vishwanath, then in Tamil Nadu there is the blessing of Lord Rameshwaram. Both Kashi and Tamil Nadu are ‘Shivmay’ (drenched in the devotion of Lord Shiv) and ‘Shaktimay’ (drenched in the devotion of Goddess Shakti). Both the places have their own importance,” he stated.

The Prime Minister additionally started his deal with with chants of Har Har Mahadev and ‘Vanakkam’ (welcome in Tamil) Kashi and ‘Vanakkam’ Tamil Nadu.

Stressing on “removing linguistic differences and establishing emotional unity”, Modi stated: “It’s the responsibility of all 130 crore Indians to preserve the language (Tamil) and our country’s legacy.”

‘’If we ignore Tamil, we’ll do an amazing disservice to the nation and if we preserve Tamil confined in restrictions, we’ll do nice hurt to it. We have to recollect to take away linguistic variations and set up emotional unity,” he added.

The Prime Minister’s remarks on Tamil language comes towards the backdrop of a raging row over the Centre’s purported makes an attempt to impose Hindi in non-Hindi talking states.

Tamil Nadu chief minister M Ok Stalin has written to the Prime Minister previously, towards “continuous efforts to promote Hindi in the name of one nation” and likewise reminded the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central authorities of “anti-Hindi agitations in the past”.

Modi additionally termed Kashi and Tamil Nadu two “amazing sources of music, literature and art”.

“There is the tabla of Kashi, and ‘thanimai’ of Tamil Nadu. If one finds Banarasi saree in Varanasi, then the Kanjivaram silk of Tamil Nadu is world famous,” he stated.

“Both have been the birthplace and workplace of the greatest ‘acharyas’ of India’s spirituality. Kashi was the land of devotees of Tulsi, while Tamil Nadu was the land of saint Thiruvalluvar. In every dimension of life, you will find similar energy in different colours of Kashi and Tamil Nadu,” he stated.

The Tamil Sangamam conclave within the pilgrim metropolis is a part of the Prime Minister’s initiative of ‘Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat’ that portrays unity among the many cultural range of assorted states and Union territories.

The occasion is being organised by the Union schooling ministry in collaboration with Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and IIT Madras.

More than 2,500 delegates from Tamil Nadu are visiting Varanasi and can take part in seminars and work together with native folks of comparable commerce, career and curiosity. A month-long exhibition of handlooms, handicrafts, books, documentaries, delicacies, artwork kinds, historical past and vacationer locations of the 2 areas can even be organised right here.