DID you know that the 12th World Hindi Conference was held in Fiji recently?
What is this conference about?
The World Hindi Conference or Vishwa Hindi Sammelan is a global event that promotes the Hindi language.
How come Fiji hosted this event?
This event is often held in countries that have a sizeable number of Hindi speakers and as Fiji has one of the largest populations of native Hindi speakers in the world, we were the perfect location for this important event. The event was jointly hosted by the Ministry of External Affairs of India and the Fiji Government.
Where was it held and who attended it?
The conference was held in Nadi on February 15 after a gap of five years. President Ratu Wiliame Maivalili Katonivere and Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka were present at the inauguration along with over 270 academics, experts, and Hindi writers from India who participated in the conference. “In events like World Hindi Conference, it is natural that our focus should be on various aspects of the Hindi language, its global use, and its dissemination,” said the Republic of India External Affairs Minister, Dr Shri Subramaniam Jaishankar who inaugurated the event. “We will discuss issues like the status of Hindi in Fiji, the Pacific region, and indentured countries. He added the era of copying western languages and traditions was coming to an end. Mr Jaishankar and Mr Katonivere released a special postal stamp and launched six books at the event.
How come Fiji has such a large Hindi speaking population?
Over 140 years ago, indentured labourers known as Girmitiya or Jahajis came to Fiji to work in the sugarcane plantations here in Fiji. They spoke different dialects of Hindi but still found Hindi a common lingual and cultural anchor. Of the 61,000 Girmitiyas sent to Fiji many of them returned home in 1920 at the end of their indentured period, however, a large number stayed back and made Fiji their home. It is the descendants of those indentured labourers that have helped spread Hindi not just in Fiji but also to the Mauritius, South Africa, and the Caribbean nations of Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Suriname. Today, Fiji Hindi, also known as Fijian Baat or Fijian Hindustani, is spoken by around 40 per cent of the country’s population. Fiji is also the only country outside India that recognises Hindi as an official language. This annual conference provides a platform for scholars, academics, writers, and other experts to exchange ideas and discuss issues related to the Hindi language. It also aims to encourage the learning and teaching of Hindi as well as improve its official standing in different countries.
