International Mother Language Day Observed at KIIT School of Mass Communication
KIIT School of Mass Communication (KSMC) observed International Mother Language Day on 21st February 2022 virtually. The participants designed their artistic contributions based on this year’s theme, “Using technology for multilingual learning: Challenges and opportunities”.
The event witnessed talks by eminent journalist and author, Mr. Prabhat Shunglu, and experienced columnist and translator, Prof. Jatindra Kumar Nayak. Their discussions emphasised the importance of multilingual education and skills in terms of job and educational potential.
Mr. Shunglu stressed the value of studying languages, not just for the sake of knowing them, but also for their power to benefit us in our education and jobs. With anecdotes, tales, and episodes from his journey, he highlighted the theme at hand. He also explained how he started his career at The Statesman. He outlined to the students how vital it is to study our mother language since we never know when or how it will come in handy. He recounted a tale about how he didn’t have a great command of Hindi at first, but that, with determination and curiosity, he improved his grasp over time.
Prof. Nayak highlighted the significance of taking pride in one’s mother tongue. He emphasised the importance of Odia as a language and urged the audience to learn multiple languages and enhance the grasp of their native tongue. He also discussed the role of the media in rural communities and how it can empower them. He spoke with the students about P. Sainath, the Founder Editor of the People’s Archive of Rural India (PARI), and then told them about Sainath’s initiative, PARI.
An engaging Q&A session followed the talks in which attendees and participants asked a wide range of questions. Following the talks, students enthusiastically participated in Poster presentations, Radio Jingle, Poem Recitation, and Stand Up. Among those who displayed their work were Siddhanta Gupta, Debasmita Das, and Aprajita Singhal.
Dr. Bidu Bhushan Dash, Course Coordinator and Miss Ruby Nanda, Assistant Professor also spoke on the occasion. Faculty members, Ms Chimoyee Deka, Mr Souptik Garai, Ms Sananda Mukherjee, Dr Rajeev Kumar Panda, and Mr Anurag Sahoo, as well as students from the school, were present. The session was moderated by Ananya Jena and Sayonika Banerjee.