HONOURABLE A. GANOO, As Chief Guest on the occasion of the “Samvaad Utsav” World Hindi Secretariat
15:20–15:30, 23 March 2022
Her Excellency, the Secretary–General of the World Hindi Secretariat, High Commissioner of India to Mauritius, Mrs. Nandini Singla;
Deputy Secretary–General of the World Hindi Secretariat,
Dr Madhouree Ramdharee,
High Officials and Dignitaries,
from the Ministry of Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Arts and Cultural Heritage;
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Esteemed Students,
Good Afternoon,
It is a great pleasure for me to be here among you today on the occasion of the “Samvaad Utsav” organized by the World Hindi Secretariat, to celebrate the Hindi language.
At the outset, allow me to say how impressed I am to hear the presentations by the various groups. Not only did they shine by their elocution but also the choice of the themes, panning over important issues show the engagement of the youth in society and their community, their education as well as the pursuance and preservation of ancestral culture.
One cannot but be touched and humbled to see that traditions and knowledge passed down by our forefathers are being preserved, cherished and standing strong.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is good to reflect on the historical path of the Hindi language in our country. The Hindi language was the vehicle through which our forefathers passed the reading and reciting of the “Ramcharitmanas”, the “Vedas”, the “Puranas” and other Hindu religious scriptures to their younger generations. The endeavor of our ancestors gave birth to the concept of “baithkas” or evening schools, which turned to be centers for learning for the labourers’ children, even on a small scale.
We can say with pride that the dedication of the labourers` children reaped results and we should remain thankful that Hindi was brought in the main stream education system at the primary level as early as 1954. It eventually continued its journey at the tertiary level in 1991 in collaboration with the University of Mauritius and the Mahatma Gandhi Institute.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Today, as Mauritius and India are commemorating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations, it could not be a more opportune time to highlight the educational and cultural significance that should be attributed to the usage and dissemination of the Hindi language in Mauritius. The cultural and linguistic affinities between the two nations have contributed to strong and cordial relations between our two countries.
Indeed, through the establishment of the World Hindi Secretariat, both countries have taken a step for the advancement of Hindi. And thanks to the efforts of the Secretariat, there is growing recognition for Hindi as an international language given the increasing number of Hindi speaking people across the globe. The celebration of the World Hindi Day every 10th of January helps in spreading awareness about Hindi as an international language. In the same spirit, we need to sustain our efforts to have Hindi recognized as an official language of the United Nations.
I have no doubt that for young students, learning Hindi also means learning the culture, values and mannerism associated with the language. India is a country where the whole world is conceived as a family– “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakkam”, where the greeting with the “Namaste” not only shows respect of one to another but recognizes the divine within each of us.
Having a culturally rich and scientifically systematized language like Hindi in our educational system gives us the opportunity to broaden the horizon of our knowledge. Every student may nurture the good thoughts and ethical values learnt in their Hindi class into their practical life and eventually set examples for others.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I wish to thank the various institutions and organizations which are actively contributing to the diffusion of the Hindi language on the Mauritian soil. The Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation along with other private radio and TV channels are broadcasting news and various entertainment programmes in Hindi, the language but also by those who attempt to understand the language.
The idea of setting up a World Hindi Centre was mooted at the 1st World Hindi Conference in Nagpur, India in 1975. Thereafter, with the strong commitment of the successive leadership of India and Mauritius, the establishment of the World Hindi Secretariat became a reality.
I wish to seize this opportunity to commend the World Hindi Secretariat for its continuous efforts in pursuing various activities to disseminate and promote the Hindi language globally.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It will be remiss on my part, if I don’t say a few words in Hindi on this occasion.
Aaj mere liye khushi ki baat hai, ki main aap sab ke beech yahan par, Hindi bhasha ke baare mein ek–do sabda bolounga.
Hindi bhasha, hamari maan hai, hamara gaurav hai. Yeh hamari pourkhon ki den hai, aashirwaad hai.
Girmitiya mazdoor ke aulaad, desh ki bag–dor samhaal rahe hain. Desh ko azaadi mili aur aaj hamara chota desh, vishwa bhar mein saphalta ka ek misaal ban gaya hai!
Hamari sanskriti, hamari kirti hai, aur Hindi Bhasha ki vajah se hi, humne aaj tak apni iss sanskriti ko aagey barhaya hai.
Sabhi log jante hai ki “Bhasha gayi, to sanskriti bhi gayi”.
Hamari shiksha pranaali (education system) mein Hindi ko khaas jagah di gayi hai. Ab to Mauritius mein World Hindi Secretariat bhi hai.
Hindi se hamari ekta joori houi hai. Aaj kal hum hindi filmon se, gaanon se, seekh sakte hain.
Anta mein, mein sabhi ko hardik badhayi deta houn aur Namaskar Sabhi Ko.