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 | Fiji's Attorney General, Mr Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum, speaking at the Kaise Baat: Reloaded at the Japan-Pacific ICT Centre |
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The USP Faculty of Arts, Law and Education hosted a successful two-part series of the annual event, Kaise Baat on Thursday evening, 27 June, 2013.
The event, titled Kaise Baat: Reloaded which was held at the Japan-Pacific ICT Centre at the USP Laucala Campus in Suva, saw people turn out in hundreds to watch the performances.
Fiji Attorney-General, Mr Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, who featured as the chief guest for the event, said that while preserving links to India by acknowledging and using the standard Hindi used in India is important, Fijians of Indian descent must also maintain their unique Fiji Hindi language.
“The point is that Fiji Hindi is very much linked to the experiences and the identity of the descendants of the girmitiyas (indentured labourers from India),” he said.
“It was a language that developed as a means of necessity, and that necessity arose from the fact that there were people who came from different parts of India and had to communicate. They were in a different environment altogether,” he added.
“Language has the ability of inclusion, it brings people together, you are able to share the jokes and you are able to relate to each other. Fiji Hindi is a means of communication and it helps to break down barriers as well as helping to understand each other,” he added.
There has been much debate among academics and religious scholars over the significance of Fiji Hindi, and this led to the establishment of the annual Kaise Baat series in 2012, headed by Faculty of Arts, Law and Education (FALE) Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Affairs, Dr Mohit Prasad and Teaching Assistant, Rajendra Prasad, who is also pursuing a Masters thesis with a focus on Fiji Hindi.
Dr Mohit Prasad said the event was a huge success with a hugely positive response from both the Hindi and non-Hindi speaking public.
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Noa Seru singing a Fiji-Hindi folksong at the Japan-Pacific ICT Centre during the Kaise Baat: Reloaded series
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“At last year’s event, we had presented academic papers on language, architecture, economy and movie-making in Fiji. This year, we have taken it to a higher level, with performances,” he said, adding that the language is also spoken by the i-Taukei community.
Language specialist, Ghil’ad Zuckermann, sponsored by the Israeli Embassy who delivered a lecture at the University the previous night, was also present among the audience, along with Israel’s Regional Counselor to the Pacific, Mr Jonathon Zadka.
Professor Zuckermann said he was delighted to be part of the event and that he enjoyed the performances.
“It was indeed an amazing experience, having to listen and watch the different performances that no doubt make up the unique identity,” he said.
The event saw performances from non-Fiji Hindi speakers, including the popular hosts from Fiji Broadcasting Corporation’s television show, Bati Ni Tanoa who conversed in Fiji-Hindi, over a bowl of kava.
Noa Seru, also gave a special memorial tribute to famous local folk singer, the late Jet Shri Kris hna, by singing Fiji-Hindi folk songs and bhajans.
Renowned Eddie Wilson, and his band from the late 1970s and 1980s sang Fiji-Hindi pop and closed the evening with a few famous Bollywood numbers.
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