Patna: Actor Pankaj Tripathi spoke about language, identity and Bihar at a Hindi Fortnight programme organised by the Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library (KBOPL) on Monday. Speaking to a packed auditorium, Tripathi said Hindi was not merely a language of livelihood for him but an integral part of his life and a medium through which he could express himself naturally.“The more local you become, the more global you become,” he said, urging young people to remain connected with their roots and identity. Referring to his Bhojpuri roots, he said its fragrance had become part of his identity. “I can never leave this fragrance behind. I always wish that whenever I enter a room, Bihar should enter before me,” he said.Tripathi also spoke about the importance of Devanagari in cinema. He said scripts were generally provided in Roman script, but reading Hindi that way did not evoke the same emotions as reading it in Devanagari. “That is why my scripts are given to me in Devanagari,” he said.On Bihar’s image, he questioned why the state continued to be associated primarily with migrant labour when it produced a large number of IAS and IPS officers. He called for collective efforts to change this perception.The programme, organised as part of Hindi Fortnight being observed till Sept 29, also featured Gyan Dev Mani Tripathi, dean, Aryabhatta Knowledge University, Yatindra Kumar Pal, director, SCERT, and Safdar Imam Qadri.Speakers stressed making Hindi simpler and more accessible, while remaining open to words from Sanskrit, Urdu, Persian and other languages.Mohammad Zahidul Haque, director, KBOPL, said the library aims to bring Hindi and Urdu readers closer. Mohammad Zakir Hussain conducted the programme.
