Alka Yagnik, Javed Akhtar unveil literacy anthem

New Delhi: Bollywood celebrities like Alka Yagnik, Javed Akhtar and Lalit Pandit, along with Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, Monday launched a new literacy anthem as part of the campaign of promoting adult literacy in India. The national literacy anthem ‘Humko padhna hai aage badna hai’ has been written by Akhtar, composed by Pandit and sung by Sonu Nigam and Yagnik. The song marked the launch of the National Literacy Mission`s new mass adult literacy awareness campaign ‘Saakshar Bharat Abhiyan’, which aims to educate non-literate people at the grassroot level. A video of the literacy anthem featuring actors Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Shabana Azmi, Farhan Akhtar, Kareena Kapoor and Anil Kapoor was also showcased at the occasion. "The song composed by Lalit Pandit and sung by Alka Yagnik and Sonu Nigam is so heartwarming that all those people who would hear it, will automatically get inspired to come together and support the cause," Sibal said here at the launch programme on the Red Fort grounds. "It is of utmost importance to fight against illiteracy. If we don`t educate the women of our country, India will never rise. I would like to congratulate the people behind `Saakshar Abiyaan`, who have been able to successfully move ahead with their adult education programme. "As many as two crore adults, especially women, have given their literacy exams and according to assessment of National Institute of Open Schooling, 1.5 crore people have cleared it, of which 70 percent are women. This is in itself a big achievement," he added. Sibal called for the support of common man as well as Bollywood celebrities to help eradicate illiteracy from the country. "Actually this initiative won`t be successful, if all of us don`t come together to work towards the cause. We need the support of volunteer teachers, gram panchayats, parents and society too. We need the support of those Bollywood celebrities also, who can inspire common man," he added. Also present at the occasion were Minister of State for Human Resource Development D. Puransdeswari, Anshu Vaish, secretary, department of school education and literacy in the ministry and National Literacy Mission Authority chief Jagmohan Singh Raju. IANS