Nagaland Governor stresses Hindi promotion alongside preservation of indigenous languages

Nagaland Governor Nand Kishore Yadav on September 24 said efforts to promote Hindi should go hand in hand with the preservation of indigenous languages, describing India's linguistic diversity as one of the country's greatest cultural strengths.

Yadav was speaking at the prize distribution ceremony of the Hindi Film Song Competition organised by Akashvani Kohima as part of Hindi Pakhwada 2026.

The governor said Hindi serves as an important medium of communication among people from different linguistic regions, while indigenous languages keep communities connected to their roots, identity and cultural heritage.

He said Nagaland is home to diverse tribes, languages, dialects, traditions and cultural expressions, with each language carrying the history, traditional knowledge, values, songs and stories of its community.

Yadav called for the spirit of Hindi Pakhwada to extend beyond the fortnight and encouraged people to promote Hindi while respecting other Indian languages as well as English.

He also urged young people to learn more than one language and emphasised the need to preserve indigenous languages and the traditional knowledge embedded in them.

Speaking about the Hindi Film Song Competition, the governor said music could transcend linguistic boundaries and foster fellowship among people. Hindi film songs, he added, have become part of the shared cultural memory of generations of Indians.

Yadav also highlighted the role of Akashvani in providing news, information, education, music, cultural programming and public messages, particularly in a geographically challenging state such as Nagaland.