Assistant minister for water resources Birendra Kumar Kanaudiya has said individual effort is necessary for highlighting the originality of a language and culture.

Addressing an Avadhi language literary and cultural symposium organised under the initiative of the Royal Nepal Academy and the Avadhi Cultural Development Council Nepal here today, he stressed the need for cooperation from all for the protection of the Avadhi language and literature.

MP Ajaya Pratap Shaha said efforts should be made from the social level to develop the language.

President of the Avadhi cultural development council Dr Ram Niwas Pandey, from the chair, said the state should assist in its development as it is an ancient language of Nepal.

Founding member of the council Tapanath Shukla said the Avadhi language which is spoken from Nawalparasi to Kailali district has more than 900,000 speakers.

He said the council is alert on preparing the curriculum for the children as per government policy and curriculum upto class five has so far been prepared, researches are made in Avadhi folk drama and Nepali-Avadhi dictionary has been published.

Also speaking on the occasion were MP Kamalesh Kumar Sharma, Deep Kumar Upadhyaya, academicians Bairagi Kainla, Dr Keshav Upadhyaya, Sanat Regmi, Dr Tulsi Prasad Bhattarai, Dr Yogendra Prasad Yadav and Dr Tika Ram Panthi.