Every 14th of September, India celebrates Hindi Diwas. The aim of this celebration is to counter the growing dominance of the English language and to address the neglect of Hindi in the nation.
History of Hindi Diwas
Hindi, scripted in Devanagari, was declared the official language of the Republic of India on 14th September 1949. The decision benefited from the significant contributions of Kaka Kalelkar, Maithili Sharan Gupta, Hazari Prasad Dwivedi, and Seth Govindadas. The first Hindi Day celebration took place in 1953. Under Article 343 of the Indian Constitution, Hindi shares its official status with English and is also incorporated in the eighth schedule. Furthermore, Article 351 emphasizes the ‘Directive for development of the Hindi language’. Unlike some other languages in the country, Hindi is not considered a classical language.
World Hindi Day
World Hindi Day is commemorated every 10th of January, marking the anniversary of the initial World Hindi Conference held in Nagpur on the same date in 1975. This conference had 122 delegates from 30 countries. First celebrated in 2006 by former Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, the aim is to promote the Hindi language worldwide. The World Hindi Secretariat building got inaugurated in Mauritius in 2018.
Background of Hindi language
Hindi is named after the Persian word ‘Hind’, signifying the ‘land of the Indus River’. With the invasion of Turks in the early 11th century, the native language was termed as Hindi – ‘language of the land of the Indus River’. The modern Devanagari script came about during the same century. Hindi ranks fifth among the world’s most spoken languages and is not only spoken in India but also in Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, USA, UK, Germany, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, Uganda, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad, Mauritius, and South Africa.
Government Efforts to Promote Hindi
The Central Hindi Directorate came into existence in 1960 under the Ministry of Education, aiming to offer knowledge of Hindi through correspondence to non-Hindi speaking Indian states, Indians living abroad, and foreign nationals interested in learning Hindi. The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) has set up ‘Hindi Chairs’ in various universities and institutions worldwide. Initiatives such as LILA-Rajbhasha, a multimedia-based self-tutoring application for learning Hindi aided by Artificial Intelligence, are burgeoning. E-Saral Hindi Vakya Kosh and E-Mahashabdkosh Mobile App from the Department of Official Language utilize information technology to aid Hindi’s growth. In recognition of contributions towards Hindi, awards like Rajbhasha Gaurav Puraskar and Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar are conferred.
Last Modified: February 13, 2024