Hindi Diwas 2024: Know Official Status of Hindi in Fiji, UAE, South Africa and Nepal

Hindi Language Day, celebrated on September 14, aims to highlight the importance of Hindi, which has official language status in several countries outside India, including Fiji, the UAE, South Africa and Nepal.

Hindi Day Theme 2024

The theme for 2024 is “Hindi – A Bridge between Traditional Knowledge and Artificial Intelligence”. The color is symbolic and reflects the intention to combine Indian cultural values ​​with modern technology, especially artificial intelligence.

This year’s commemoration assumes great significance as it marks the 75th anniversary of Hindi being made one of the official languages ​​of India by the Constituent Assembly in 1949. Some of the activities that will be carried out during the celebrations must be related to setting the time for the use of Hindi in other aspects of life and public affairs to show that it is a means of uniting the people of India’s various linguistic diversity.

Official status of Hindi in various countries

Hindi is one of the most widely spoken languages ​​in the world, with significant cultural and linguistic influence outside of India. Hindi is the official language of India, but it also enjoys varying degrees of recognition and status in other countries. From being an official language to playing a key role in regional communication, the spread of Hindi in different countries reflects its global importance.

Fiji

In Fiji, Hindi is recognized as an official language, specifically Fiji Hindi. Hindi plays a vital role in the cultural identity of the Indo-Fijian community, reflecting the historic migration of Indians to Fiji. The Fijian Constitution recognizes Hindi and promotes its use in government and education.

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

In the UAE, Hindi has been adopted as the third official court language in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. This status enables the large Indian workforce in the UAE to file complaints in their mother tongue, thereby increasing the ease with which Hindi speakers can participate in legal proceedings.

South Africa

Hindi enjoys protected status in South Africa, and the South African Constitution requires the Pan-South African Language Commission to promote and respect Hindi, along with other languages. Despite Hindi’s long history, academic research on its evolution and current use in the country is limited.

Nepal

In Nepal, where about 77,569 people speak Hindi as a first language and more than 1 million speak it as a second language, the language has faced political challenges, highlighted by the controversy surrounding Paramananda Jha, who was sworn in as vice president in Hindi, leading to protests and legal battles over the use of Hindi in official duties.

Common activities during Hindi Riva in these countries include:

  • Cultural performances: Performances technically defined as events involving folk music and dance.
  • Poetry Recitation: To promote the art of writing in Hindi through poetry recitation.
  • Seminars and Discussions: These are related to the historical development of Hindi language.
  • Competition: Adopting a recipient-oriented approach, the competition involved participants in essay writing, debates and quizzes on patriotism and related to Hindi literature.

All in all, these traditions have played an important role in the propagation and observation of language as a part of the cultural ethos of different groups, especially the Hindi speaking community.

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