While speaking at the inauguration of Delhi School of Journalism (DSJ) at Delhi University (DU), Vice-President and Chancellor of DU Venkaiah Naidu said that every student should first master his mother tongue and then go for other languages.
He appreciated that journalism programme at the DSJ is being run in both Hindi and English as it will provide new opportunity for students hailing from Hindi heartland.
Recalling the days when he actively participated in the mass movements going on against Hindi language in the South India, he said, “We used to paint coal-tar on the text written in Hindi on red colour letter boxes those days and at the railway stations. But later on I realise the importance of Hindi in national integration and at very moment I realise that I blackened my own face rather than the letter box.” He further said that freedom of speech is there but not without reasonable restrictions and democratic dissent is acceptable but not disintegration of the nation. He said to students that Journalism is not just a profession but rather a mission.
Present on the occasion were DU Vice-Chancellor Yogesh K Tyagi, Registrar Tarun Das, Ram Bahadur Rai Chairman of advisory council of DSJ and other eminent guest.
DSJ has five-year integrated programme in Journalism, in both Hindi and English. Apart from it Tamil, Bengali, Sanskrit, Spanish, French and other languages are also being taught.