CM Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurates India's first language-literature-cultural museum, Aksharam

KOTTAYAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has cautioned against attempts to undermine India’s linguistic diversity, including efforts to sideline regional languages such as Malayalam. He was speaking at the inauguration of Aksharam, India’s first language-literature-cultural museum, built by the State Cooperative Department, at the India Press premises in Mariyappally, Kottayam.

The Chief Minister emphasized the importance of preserving the nation's linguistic and cultural diversity in the face of attempts to impose linguistic uniformity. He noted that the museum stands as a symbol of resistance against such efforts. "This innovative museum conveys a message to the world—the need to preserve our language, culture and diversity," he remarked.

Spread over 15,000 square feet, Aksharam will chronicle the cultural, linguistic, and literary history of Kerala once completed. CM Vijayan also addressed concerns about the impact of technology on reading habits, observing that books and reading are evolving in new ways, rather than becoming obsolete.

Minister V.N. Vasavan presided over the function, and the Chief Minister presented the fifth Akshara Puraskar to noted writer M. Mukundan. Several dignitaries, including Chief Whip Dr. N. Jayaraj, MP Adv. K. Francis George, MLA Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, Justice K.T. Thomas, District Panchayat President K.V. Bindu and Collector John V. Samuel, attended the event.

Prominent literary figures such as T. Padmanabhan, M.K. Sanu, M. Mukundan, N.S. Madhavan, V. Madhusoodanan Nair, Ezhachery Ramachandran, Dr. M.R. Raghava Varier, Dr. Veena N. Madhavan, Adv. P.K. Harikumar, Dr. D. Sajith Babu and Bincy Sebastian also shared their thoughts during the program.