The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : ``Preserve spirit of unity''

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Oct 27, 2006
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

``Preserve spirit of unity''

Special Correspondent

Barnala presents Urdu Academy awards

FOR UNITY: Governor S.S. Barnala presenting the Urdu Academy Award to Additional Commissioner, Customs, Excise, Service Taxes and Tribunal, S. Faheem Ahmed at Raj Bhavan. — Photo : M. Vedhan

CHENNAI: The spirit of unity that prevailed during the freedom struggle has to be revived to face challenges confronting the country. Sectarian, communal and fissiparous tendencies should not be allowed to raise their ugly heads, Governor Surjit Singh Barnala said here on Thursday.

Presenting awards to eminent personalities for their contribution to national integration, on behalf of the Urdu Academy,

Mr. Barnala said every Indian must regard the challenge to the nation's integrity as a matter of direct concern to him. It would be wrong for someone in Tamil Nadu to dismiss the affairs in Kashmir as being too distant.

Whether it was in Kashmir or Mumbai or Tamil Nadu, the language of violence and separatism directly affected the whole country. Hence, the love for unity and promotion of integration should be the motivational force.

He appealed to people to do everything possible to preserve the spirit of national unity by promoting national integration in diverse ways.

Describing Urdu as a beautiful language, Mr. Barnala said it played a crucial role during the freedom struggle. He congratulated the academy for promoting national unity and national integration.

S. Faheem Ahmed, Additional Commissioner, Customs, Excise, Service Taxes and Tribunal, lauded the academy for its efforts to promote the language.

Academy chairman Zaheer Aafaaque said eminent personalities from various languages were honoured every year by the academy.

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