Hindi Divas 2022 was marked on 18 September at the Indian High Commission in Wellington.
The event was conducted by the Wellington Hindi School in partnership with the High Commission, which coincided with celebrations to mark 30 years since the school opened.
Staff, children and former students hosted a morning of variety entertainment, speeches and prize distribution.
Mayor Andy Foster gave away the prizes.
Manoj Kumar Sahu, Second Secretary, Indian High Commission, was the chief guest.
Vijeshni Rattan, school principal, welcomed the gathering.
A student announcer explained to the audience that he would be speaking in Fiji Hindi (and English) as that was the Hindi close to his heart. The school was founded by a group of Fiji Indians based in Newlands three decades ago.
The inaugural lamp was lit by the school’s founding member and Wellington ISKCON president Jagdish Prasad and Ministry of Ethnic Communities CEO Mervin Singham, which was followed by a welcome song and a dance performance by tiny tots. Poetry recital, Hindi songs, and storytelling ensued.
Dilesh Prakash, a former student, spoke in Hindi and traced the history of the school, which was followed by a Hindi play enacted by students.
Ra Uniyal and Dr. Del Carlini of Health NZ addressed the audience on the need to observe Covid protocols.
Jagdish Prasad spoke on the importance of going beyond language proficiency and embracing the Bhagavad Gita. While commending the teachers for their wonderful efforts, Prasad also expressed his disappointment at seeing teachers walking with their footwear on stage before the idol of Lord Ganesh, when students had removed their shoes out of respect. Education starts with the parents, Prasad reminded the audience.
Next up, young student Samiksha Singh of the Mayur Dance Academy put on a scintillating Bharatnatyam performance, which was followed by a brief speech by chief guest Sahu who applauded the school for its yeomen service in promoting the Hindi language.
Singham, who spoke next, applauded the school for its tenacity in coping with the challenges and “high expectations from families and communities” and commended Sunita Narayan, the school’s coordinator, for her inspiring efforts to preserve the mother tongue. “Learning the mother tongue was discouraged in many families for fear that it would set us back. Some people even felt ashamed speaking their own languages because people might associate [that] with being backward,” he observed.
People now understand that preserving our mother tongues is critical to the formation of our identity, Singham noted.
Sunita Narayan gave a pat on the back to the student announcers and declared the winners of the excellence awards. She was followed at the mike by school board chairman Kashmir Kaur who delivered the vote of thanks.
The staff and dignitaries present then cut a cake to mark the school’s 30th birthday.
“I joined the Wellington Hindi School 15 years ago. In a foreign country there are challenges and obstacles [ to the promotion of Hindi]. But we overcame all that. Thirty years is a very long time for a school to exist in a foreign country, teaching language and culture. We are looking forward to the school going another 30 years. We have three branches now-in Newlands, Johnsonville and the CBD. We are very proud of this moment,” Rattan said.