India does not ask youth to choose between tradition, modernity: Pradhan at Kashi Tamil Sangamam

New Delhi, Dec 30 (PTI) India does not ask its youth to choose between tradition and modernity but wants them to integrate both with confidence and responsibility, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Tuesday.

Pradhan made the comments during his valedictory address at Kashi Tamil Sangamam in Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu.

"India does not ask its youth to choose between tradition and modernity. It asks them to integrate both with confidence and responsibility and it is this generation that will shape India’s journey ahead," Pradhan said in Tamil.

The annual event aims to strengthen cultural bonds between Tamil Nadu and Kashi in Uttar Pradesh.

"As we move towards Viksit Bharat goal for 2047, development cannot be measured by economic indicators alone. It must be supported by cultural strength and intellectual self-confidence.

"An Atmanirbhar Bharat is not only self-reliant in production; it is self-assured in thought. When Indians engage deeply with their classical languages and knowledge traditions, they gain clarity about who they are. That clarity shapes innovation, leadership, and the future of the nation," Pradhan said.

The minister noted that Tamil civilisation is not regional but foundational to India's civilisational journey.

"Therefore, with 'Tamil Karkalam' as this year’s theme, the Sangamam has not just encouraged learning Tamil but has also opened the gateway to India’s ancient wisdom. Inclusivity and accessibility to India’s civilisational wisdom is at the heart of Kashi Tamil Sangamam and NEP 2020.

"India's unity grows stronger when diversity is respected, knowledge is shared and civilisation is carried forward with humility. Espousing the same ethos, Kashi Tamil Sangamam strengthens the idea that India’s future becomes stronger when its languages and linguistic diversity become bridges to knowledge," he added.

The annual event aims to strengthen cultural bonds between Tamil Nadu and Kashi.

The event's theme, 'Tamil Karkalam' (Let us learn Tamil), seeks to take Tamil language and culture to other parts of the country, symbolising unity and expanding the reach of ancient Tamil texts by encouraging their dissemination into other Indian languages.

Under the initiative, students from Uttar Pradesh visited Tamil Nadu and would be introduced to the richness of the Tamil language.

Ten batches of 30 college students each from Uttar Pradesh participated in visits to various institutions across the southern state. PTI GJS GJS KVK KVK