Global Recognition: Vishwa Hindi Diwas Celebrated at the National University of Singapore

Singapore’s NUS Launches Hindi Books, Celebrates Cultural Ties with India

Vishwa Hindi Diwas, celebrated annually on January 10, was established by the Government of India in 2006 to commemorate the first World Hindi Conference held in 1975. The day promotes the global use of Hindi, which is spoken by approximately 600 million people worldwide, with 341 million native speakers, mostly in India, and 259 million non-native speakers. To celebrate World Hindi Day, on 10 January National University of Singapore(NUS) released three books containing Hindi stories and poems related to the island city-state.

India’s Deputy High Commissioner to Singapore, Pooja Tillu, released three books on January 8 to promote the global use of Hindi. The event, organized by the High Commission of India, NUS, the Singapore Sangam Hindi Association, and Vani Prakashan Group (VPG), lasted three hours. Dr Sandhya Singh, head of the Hindi and Tamil department at NUS, highlighted that this was the first time a publisher from India (VPG) had published books by the Indian community in Singapore. NUS offers Hindi as a language option for both Indian and non-Indian students.

Dr Sandhya Singh noted that this year, World Hindi Day celebrations were combined with Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, observed on January 9 to honour the contributions of the overseas Indian community. She added that the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was celebrated enthusiastically, featuring an Odissi dance and the inauguration of the event with statues of Lord Jagannath. At the event, Deputy High Commissioner Pooja Tillu presented certificates to students learning Hindi at the NUS Centre for Language Studies. Chinese-origin students Jonathan Lee and Gregory Neo recited Hindi poems by Pravasi authors like Padmesh Gupta, Divya Mathur, and Vinod Dubey. Both students had learned Hindi at the Centre, which offers various language programs, including Tamil, one of Singapore's four official languages alongside English, Chinese, and Malay.

Jonathan, a computer science graduate from NUS, shared his enthusiasm for learning Hindi and his goal to use it during his visit to India. He found reading a Hindi poem before a large audience eye-opening. Gregory, a philosophy student, mentioned that while learning Hindi was initially challenging, he can now construct sentences and understand spoken Hindi. NUS offers five Hindi courses that provide a working knowledge of the language, which, along with Mandarin, is one of the most spoken globally. The launch of Hindi books at NUS underscores the growing global appreciation of the Hindi language and the cultural ties between India and Singapore.

Editor's Note:

The National University of Singapore's celebration of Vishwa Hindi Diwas with the launch of three Hindi books marks a significant step in promoting the global use of Hindi. This event not only showcases the growing appreciation of the Hindi language but also strengthens cultural ties between India and Singapore.  The involvement of students from diverse backgrounds highlights the inclusivity and widespread appeal of Hindi, fostering a deeper understanding and connection between different communities. 

Skoobuzz hopes that such initiatives continue to inspire global engagement with Hindi, enriching cultural exchange and language learning worldwide.