VP Radhakrishnan Hails Kashi Tamil Sangamam as Symbol of Cultural Unity

• Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan addresses Kashi Tamil Sangamam 4.0 virtually
• Says the event reflects North–South civilizational harmony
• Welcomes theme ‘Let Us Learn Tamil’ and praises cultural initiatives
• Calls Sangamam a guiding force for Viksit Bharat

GG News Bureau
New Delhi/Varanasi, 2nd Dec: Vice-President of India C.P. Radhakrishnan on Tuesday delivered a special video address to the fourth edition of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam, calling the cultural festival a powerful symbol of India’s North–South unity and shared civilizational heritage.

Recalling the event’s inception in 2022 during the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Vice-President said the Sangamam has evolved into a major national platform uniting the traditions of the Ganga and Cauvery. He cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent remarks in Mann Ki Baat, where the Sangamam was described as a meeting of one of the world’s oldest languages with one of the world’s oldest living cities.

Welcoming this year’s theme, “Let Us Learn Tamil”, Radhakrishnan said it reflects the growing national recognition of Tamil’s cultural prominence. He praised the initiative under which fifty Hindi-speaking Tamil teachers, trained by the Central Institute of Classical Tamil, have arrived in Varanasi to teach basic Tamil to over 1,500 students across fifty schools.

He also highlighted the symbolic Agathiyar Yatra from Tenkasi to Kashi, retracing ancient cultural routes and commemorating the message of unity spread by Pandya King Athiveera Parakrama Pandian. In addition, 300 students from Uttar Pradesh will travel to key institutions in Tamil Nadu in ten batches to strengthen cultural and academic exchange.

Describing the Sangamam as the embodiment of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat, the Vice-President said Kashi and Tamil Nadu stand as two radiant lamps of India’s ancient civilization. He expressed appreciation to the Ministry of Education, the Uttar Pradesh government, and other central ministries for organising the event on a grand scale.

Radhakrishnan concluded by expressing hope that the bond between Kashi and Tamil Nadu will continue to flourish for “thousands of years,” guiding the nation towards the vision of Viksit Bharat.