Delhi: Former Union Minister and Hamirpur MP Anurag Singh Thakur called for collective efforts to preserve and promote the rich culture, dialect and literature of Kinnaur while addressing the annual event “Toshim” organised by the Delhi Kinnaur Students Association in Delhi.
Speaking at the event, Thakur said Kinnaur’s culture, history and traditional attire are admired across the world. “If Himachal is Dev Bhoomi, then Kinnaur is the crown jewel of Dev Bhoomi,” he said, adding that the four-decade-old Toshim programme has played an important role in strengthening mutual coordination among the community.
He said Kinnaur is not known only for apples but also for its ancient and rich civilisation. “Being a Himachali is a matter of pride, but being a Kinnauri adds another layer of pride,” he said. Appreciating the efforts of DKSA, he said the association is empowering youth while preserving language and culture, and society must support such initiatives.
Referring to development initiatives, Thakur said that under the Vibrant Villages Programme of the Central Government, 75 villages in Himachal Pradesh have been included, of which 55 are from Kinnaur district. Nako and Leo villages have also been covered under the scheme. He said tourist infrastructure is being developed in these villages, and Chitkul, located along the Indo-Tibetan border, has become a focal point of the Vibrant Villages strategy.
He said there was once a mindset that border villages were the last villages of the country, and development reached them late or sometimes not at all. “We have changed that thinking. You are not the last village of India; you are the first village of India. India does not end at your villages; it begins from there,” he said, adding that priority in development funds and projects is now being given to border areas.
Recalling the 2021 natural disaster in Kinnaur, Thakur said the Central Government responded promptly to assist the affected region.
Highlighting cultural concerns, he said Kinnaur’s oral and folk literature is extremely rich and requires serious documentation and promotion. He noted that the Kinnauri language is spoken in eight different dialects and carries one of the world’s oldest oral traditions. However, he expressed concern that Kinnauri has been listed in UNESCO’s endangered language category, with the number of speakers estimated between 70,000 and 84,000.
“The disappearance of the Kinnauri language and culture would not only be a loss for Kinnaur or Himachal Pradesh but for the entire country and Indian civilisation,” he said. Thakur assured full support for initiatives aimed at preserving the region’s linguistic and cultural heritage.
