Hindi Language Week: Kiwi-Indians yearn for preserving Hindi language in Aotearoa
The Kiwi-Indian community is all set to participate, support and promote the Hindi language when the Hindi Language and Culture Trust of New Zealand will celebrate the Hindi Language Week from September 7-14.
The Minister of Ethnic Communities, Jenny Salesa, will be the keynote speaker of the opening event on Friday, September 7, at the Papatoetoe High School.
The trust, which has been at the forefront of coordinating amongst several nationwide events committed to the cause of promotion of Hindi language, had been the lead organiser and promoter of this annual event since 2012
The celebration of Hindi language in Aotearoa started in 2011, coinciding with global celebrations of Hindi Diwas on September 14.
Since then the celebrations have transformed into a weeklong showcasing of Hindi language and culture to get broader community participation and attention.
“The core objective of the celebration is to bring awareness for the importance of teaching and learning of Hindi language,” the Trust President and Chief Executive Officer Satya Dutt told The Indian Weekender.
This year the week-long celebrations will involve three sets of events which includes a cultural family evening, school-based programme and a Hindi speech competition for students in three categories of Primary, Intermediate and High Schools.
The representatives of the Auckland based trust, other nation-wide advocates and passionate teachers who are committed to impart Hindi language skills among youths and Hindi enthusiasts believe that such collective language week celebrations are important for raising awareness about protecting a language which is so inherently connected with broader Indian culture and identity.
The desire for safeguarding one’s native language is fundamental for every human society, and this becomes more important among ethnic immigrants, who primarily reside in distant lands uprooted from their culture.
Experts concur that mother language is a carrier of values and knowledge, very often used in the practice and transmission of intangible cultural heritage.
Submission for the inclusion of Hindi Language in NZ curriculum gains momentum
Meanwhile, the submission calling for the inclusion of Hindi Language in NZ curriculum, earlier made to the government has made some progress with the office of the Education Minister acknowledging the receipt of the submission and inviting them for further discussion – an opportunity cherished by the trust representatives.
Minister for Education, Chris Hipkins said, “I appreciate the valuable work you are doing in your community to encourage Hindi language learning and I have asked Ministry of Education officials to meet with you to discuss the matters you have raised.”
Speaking to the Indian Weekender Mr Dutt said, “We plan to meet with the officials from the Ministry of Education once we are done with our Hindi Language Week celebrations.”
“It is an important opportunity and we wish to make a best case out of it,” Mr Dutt said.
Earlier The Indian Weekender had also written in support of the submission to the Minister of Education emphasising that inclusion of Hindi Language in NZ curriculum would further accentuate the emotional bond between the Kiwi-Indian communities and Aotearoa New Zealand.
The Kiwi-Indian community is all set to participate, support and promote the Hindi language when the Hindi Language and Culture Trust of New Zealand will celebrate the Hindi Language Week from September 7-14.
The Minister of Ethnic Communities, Jenny Salesa, will be the keynote speaker of the...
The Kiwi-Indian community is all set to participate, support and promote the Hindi language when the Hindi Language and Culture Trust of New Zealand will celebrate the Hindi Language Week from September 7-14.
The Minister of Ethnic Communities, Jenny Salesa, will be the keynote speaker of the opening event on Friday, September 7, at the Papatoetoe High School.
The trust, which has been at the forefront of coordinating amongst several nationwide events committed to the cause of promotion of Hindi language, had been the lead organiser and promoter of this annual event since 2012
The celebration of Hindi language in Aotearoa started in 2011, coinciding with global celebrations of Hindi Diwas on September 14.
Since then the celebrations have transformed into a weeklong showcasing of Hindi language and culture to get broader community participation and attention.
“The core objective of the celebration is to bring awareness for the importance of teaching and learning of Hindi language,” the Trust President and Chief Executive Officer Satya Dutt told The Indian Weekender.
This year the week-long celebrations will involve three sets of events which includes a cultural family evening, school-based programme and a Hindi speech competition for students in three categories of Primary, Intermediate and High Schools.
The representatives of the Auckland based trust, other nation-wide advocates and passionate teachers who are committed to impart Hindi language skills among youths and Hindi enthusiasts believe that such collective language week celebrations are important for raising awareness about protecting a language which is so inherently connected with broader Indian culture and identity.
The desire for safeguarding one’s native language is fundamental for every human society, and this becomes more important among ethnic immigrants, who primarily reside in distant lands uprooted from their culture.
Experts concur that mother language is a carrier of values and knowledge, very often used in the practice and transmission of intangible cultural heritage.
Submission for the inclusion of Hindi Language in NZ curriculum gains momentum
Meanwhile, the submission calling for the inclusion of Hindi Language in NZ curriculum, earlier made to the government has made some progress with the office of the Education Minister acknowledging the receipt of the submission and inviting them for further discussion – an opportunity cherished by the trust representatives.
Minister for Education, Chris Hipkins said, “I appreciate the valuable work you are doing in your community to encourage Hindi language learning and I have asked Ministry of Education officials to meet with you to discuss the matters you have raised.”
Speaking to the Indian Weekender Mr Dutt said, “We plan to meet with the officials from the Ministry of Education once we are done with our Hindi Language Week celebrations.”
“It is an important opportunity and we wish to make a best case out of it,” Mr Dutt said.
Earlier The Indian Weekender had also written in support of the submission to the Minister of Education emphasising that inclusion of Hindi Language in NZ curriculum would further accentuate the emotional bond between the Kiwi-Indian communities and Aotearoa New Zealand.
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