CM Dhami announces digital push for Uttarakhand’s folk heritage

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday unveiled a series of initiatives aimed at preserving and promoting Uttarakhand's rich linguistic and literary heritage.

Speaking during the general assembly and executive committee meeting of the Uttarakhand Bhasha Sansthan at the secretariat, Dhami laid emphasis on digitising the state’s folk traditions and encouraging young literary talent.

The Chief Minister proposed the digitisation of Uttarakhand’s dialects, folk tales, folk songs, and literature. "Work should be done towards digitization of Uttarakhand's dialects, folk tales, folk songs and literature. For this, an e-library should be created. Along with increasing the collection based on folk tales, audio visuals should also be made on them," he said.

In addition to this, the Chief Minister recommended promoting regional languages among school children by conducting weekly competitions. He also called for the development of a linguistic map to document the various dialects spoken across the state.

"A linguistic map of the dialects of Uttarakhand should be made," he said. He further proposed a large-scale literary festival dedicated to Uttarakhand’s language and literature. "A festival of Uttarakhand language and literature should be organised on a large scale, in which litterateurs from all over the country should be invited," he added.

Dhami also urged citizens to promote the habit of reading. To support literary efforts, it was decided in the meeting to increase the prize money of the Uttarakhand Sahitya Gaurav Samman from ₹5 lakh to ₹5.51 lakh. In addition, a new long-term literary service award worth ₹5 lakh will be introduced.

To encourage budding writers, a competition will be held for young authors in two age groups: 18–24 and 25–35. The initiative aims to inspire youth to write in Hindi, the official language. Mobile libraries will be arranged in remote parts of the state to increase access to books, and support from leading publishers will be sought to make a diverse range of literature available to readers.

To make local dialects more engaging for children, Bhasha Sansthan will produce short videos aimed at sparking interest in folk languages. The institute will also compile the complete works of eminent playwright Govind Ballabh Pant, and gather literature published by Uttarakhand writers in Indian newspapers and magazines from 50 to 100 years ago. Research projects focused on the preservation and study of high Himalayan and tribal languages will also be undertaken.

Additionally, two Sahitya Grams (literary villages) will be established in Uttarakhand. These will serve as creative spaces for writers to work, hold seminars, and engage in literary dialogue surrounded by nature.

Language Minister Subodh Uniyal highlighted the progress made in recent years, stating, "In the last three years, many new initiatives have been taken by the Bhasha Sansthan in Uttarakhand. Along with the preservation and promotion of languages, rapid efforts are being made to promote local dialects. Many awards are being given by the state government to encourage people in the direction of language."