Stating that “well-informed, better-informed society should be the goal for all of us”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Agradoot group of newspapers via video conferencing.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is the chief patron of Agradoot’s Golden jubilee celebration committee, was also present on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister congratulated the “strong voice of the Northeast in the Assamese language” Dainik Agradoot for the occasion and complimented them for keeping the values of unity and harmony alive through the medium of journalism.
The Prime Minister remarked that under the guidance of Kanak Sen Deka, the Agradoot always kept the national interest paramount. Even during the Emergency, when the biggest attack on democracy took place, even then Agradoot daily and Deka ji did not compromise on journalistic values. He created a new generation of value-based journalism, he said.
The PM empathized that for the past few days, Assam is also facing great challenges and difficulties in the form of floods. Normal life has been greatly affected in many districts of Assam.
The Chief Minister and his team are working very hard day and night for relief and rescue, he said. Prime Minister assured the people of Assam, the readers of Agradoot, that the central and state governments are working together to reduce their difficulties.
He underlined the “sterling contribution” of Indian language journalism to Indian tradition, culture, freedom struggle and the development journey. Assam has played a key role in the development of language journalism in India as the state has been a very vibrant place from the point of view of journalism. Journalism started 150 years ago in the Assamese language and kept on getting stronger with time, he added.
Modi recalled that the journey of the Dainik Agardoot in the last 50 years narrates the story of the change that has taken place in Assam. People’s movements have played an important role in realizing this change.
People’s movements protected the cultural heritage and Assamese pride of Assam. And now Assam is writing a new development story with the help of public participation.
He said when there is dialogue, there is a solution. “It is through dialogue that possibilities expand.
Therefore, along with the flow of knowledge in Indian democracy, the flow of information is also flowing continuously. Agradoot is part of that tradition”, he said.
On the eve of 75 years of independence, the Prime Minister questioned limiting the intellectual space among a few people who know a particular language.
He further said this question is not only of emotion but also of scientific logic. This may be seen as a reason for lagging behind in research on the three industrial revolutions.
The Prime Minister said the expansion of Indian languages was stopped during the long period of slavery, and in modern epistemology, research was limited to a few languages.
Underlining the biodiversity and cultural richness of Assam and Northeast, the Prime Minister said Assam has a rich legacy of music and that it needs to reach the world at large.
He said efforts of the last 8 years with regard to physical and digital connectivity of the region will be hugely beneficial for the tribal tradition, tourism and culture of Assam.