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 | The Chief Guest, Dr Brij Lal, Permanent Secretary for Education in Fiji gives his address at the World Hindi Day celebrations at USP. (Insert): Guests at the event. |
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The University of the South Pacific successfully organised its annual Hindi Day celebrations to raise awareness and promote the use of Hindi language.
The event, hosted by the School of Language, Arts and Media, was held on 14 September 2012, at the AusAid Performance Space located at the Laucala Campus in Suva.
The Chief Guest, Dr Brij Lal, Permanent Secretary for Education in Fiji, congratulated the Hindi-speaking community for sustaining the language for the past 133 years.
“Hindi is regarded as the third most widely spoken language in the world, after Mandarin and English. We should be proud of this fact.”
“Knowledge of one’s mother tongue promotes the preservation of one’s culture and values and provides access to the fountain of knowledge and wisdom,” he continued.
The Ministry of Education also wants the Hindi-speaking community to embrace the Fijian language.
Dr Lal commented that it is a pity that most of us were not able to speak the Fijian language despite our 133-year history in Fiji.
In line with this vision, the Ministry has made Conversational Hindi and Fijian compulsory for all Fiji schools to enhance the richness and vibrancy of our multi-lingual and multi-cultural society.
“It is imperative that we continue to maintain links with other ethnic communities in Fiji. And we must instil this habit in our young, so that they continue to interact and form closer ties with other communities,” Dr Lal said.
With a joyful celebration, richly immersed in the culture and tradition of the Hindi-speaking community, winners of the National Hindi Essay Contest were also awarded.
The following winners of the two categories were:
Secondary Category:
1st Prize – Shayal Verma, Rishikul Sanatan College
2nd Prize – Payal Pillay, Rampur College
3rd Prize – Prashant Chand, MGM High School
Open Category:
1st Prize – Bhagirathi Bhan, Navua
2nd Prize – Rambha Rani, Nadi
3rd Prize – Shashi Chand, Suva
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