New Delhi, August 30: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday began a language challenge thrown open by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to people of the nation. Tharoor took up the challenge and and tweeted the word 'Pluralism' on micro-blogging site Twitter in three different languages-  English, Hindi and Malayalam. The Congress MP said that he welcomes this departure from Hindi dominance  and promised to tweet out a word daily. PM Narendra Modi at Manorama News Conclave: 'This is a New India Where Surnames Don't Matter, But Ability to Make Name Matters'.

The Prime Minister, while ending his speech at the Manorama News Conclave in Kochi via a video link, suggested that people of the nation learn one new word a day from an Indian language other than their own. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi ended his speech at the #manoramanewsconclave by suggesting we all learn one new word a day from an Indian language other than our own. I welcome this departure from Hindi dominance & gladly take him up on this Language Challenge", Tharoor tweeted. 

Here's the tweet:

In another tweet, the Congress leader said, " In response to the PM’s Language Challenge, I will tweet a word daily in English, Hindi & Malayalam. Others can do this in other languages. Here is the 1st one: Pluralism in English, Hindi and Malyalam". 

The Prime Minister in his address said that for many years, a culture was perpetrated in which aspiration became a bad word. He said doors opened depending on ones surname or contacts. “Success depended on whether you belonged to an Old Boy’s club. Big cities, big institutions & big families…this is all that mattered,” the prime minister said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 30, 2019 12:37 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).