New Delhi, Nov 7 (PTI): Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah said there was an increasing tendency in the country to try and divide people on linguistic or other lines and the media could play an important role in combating this challenge.

 "The media has a very important role to play because there are tendencies that are on the increase these days which are aimed at dividing the people on the basis of language and other things. That is a challenge for us," he said. Abdullah said this at a function organised by the Lokmat group of newspapers whose chairperson Vijay Darda was also present on the occasion.

 "Languages don't belong to any religion. And in India, there are so many language spoken", Abdullah said. He said that when he was a student he had gone to South India and realised the extent of diversity in the country.

"We have so many languages, so many ways to dress, so many cuisines that the human being is surprised at this unity in diversity. How God, despite this diversity has kept us one! We have to take a lot of care of this varied bouquet of flowers," he added.