Efforts to preserve and promote the Hindi language are gaining renewed attention, with National Federation Party Leader Professor Biman Prasad urging families and communities to play a greater role in keeping the language alive.
Prasad says Hindi is an important part of Fiji’s cultural identity and history, and encouraging younger generations to learn and use the language will help preserve it for the future.
He says steps such as allowing Hindi to be used in Parliament and increasing Hindi-language content in the media have helped strengthen recognition of the language.
“When our government came in 2023, we took the first 2-3 decisions very well. Firstly, to honour the history of Girmits, a national holiday has been announced. So, for the past 3 years, Girmit Day has been celebrated as a national holiday. So that the people of this generation and the next generation can know about the history of Girmits. And our identity as Indians should be maintained.”
Professor Prasad is urging families, particularly parents, to support Hindi programmes and encourage children to engage with the language.
Prasad says keeping Hindi alive will require continued support from communities, media organizations and institutions to ensure the language remains a valued part of Fiji’s multicultural society.
