World Hindi Day celebrated

Source: ByDeeksha Teri: The Indian Express

World Hindi Day, also known as Vishwa Hindi Diwas, is celebrated on 10 January every year by Hindi enthusiasts across the world to mark the importance and celebrate Hindi as a language.

History

Vishwa Hindi Diwas was started to mark the anniversary of the first time Hindi was spoken in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 1949. In the year 1975, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi inaugurated the first World Hindi Conference. Since then, conferences have been organised in different parts of the world.

However, it was on 10 January 2006 when the World Hindi Day was celebrated for the first time. This decision was announced by the then Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh.

Significance

The purpose of this day is to create awareness about the Indian language and promote it as a global language around the world. It is also used to create awareness about the usage of the Indian language, and about the issues persisting around the usage and promotion of the Hindi language.

How to celebrate?

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs celebrates this day every year (since 2006) by organising events and activities around the usage and promotion of Hindi. Sometimes, the day is also celebrated by the Indian Postal Department by issuing special stamps to mark the occasion.

Schools and students can celebrate this day by organising debate, discussions, Hindi poetry recitals, literature classes, plays, quizzes, and more in their schools or even localities. Several organistions, including Hindi clubs, can also hold debates and discussions.

World Hindi Day vs Hindi Diwas

While the World Hindi Day is celebrated on 10 January every year, Hindi Diwas is celebrated on 14 September annually. This day concentrates on promotion and global recognition of the Hindi Language around the world.

On the other hand, Hindi Diwas, which is celebrated in India, focuses on recognition of the Hindi language in India. However, there have been debates about promoting this language in non-Hindi speaking regions.