By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: On Friday morning the students of Malayalam Pallikoodam marched to Thampanoor bus stand from Thycaud Government LPS carrying a torch to observe World Mother Tongue Day. A hundred students were part of the team that marched to the bus stand where the torch was handed over to renowned filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan. The students voiced the pledge in Malayalam as they marched, wearing leaf and paper hats with Malayalam alphabets and word imprinted on the same. Sociology students from MG College also took part in the march. After arriving at the bus stand, they offered their condolences to those who died in the KSRTC bus accident on Thursday at Avinashi in Tamil Nadu. Then the pledge was read out by a Class III student Kalyani G Nair. Another student Nanma, winner of the state-level elocution competition of Shishu Ksema Samithi, delivered a speech on the importance of the mother tongue. Vattaparambil Peethambaran had the students cheering with his song featuring many places.Then the poems of poets Kumaranashan, Ulloor, Vallathol, ONV Kurup and Sugathakumari were recited. Simultaneously, lyrics of the poems were beautifully etched on a huge canvas by artist Bhatathiri. Later, Adoor Gopalakrishnan delivered a message. Following which, the students began reading the names of places in Malayalam. Eventually, they chanced upon a bus. “The ability to read the nameplate on a bus is essential. Several students and parents do not realise the importance of the mother tongue. We wanted to showcase the practical need, hence we chose a bus board to read,” said Jessy Narayan, convenor of Malayalam Pallikoodam.

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