 "Languages, traditions which were suppressed raising voice globally: S Jaishankar at World Hindi Conference")
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said that the era when people equated progress and modernity with Westernisation is behind us and many such languages and traditions which were suppressed during the colonial era are again raising their voice on the global stage.
Addressing the 12th World Hindi Conference in Nadi, Fiji, he said that globalisation does not mean uniformity and it is only by understanding and accepting the diversity of our world that we can do it full justice. “In events like World Hindi Conference, it is natural that our focus should be on various aspects of the Hindi language, its global use and its dissemination,” said the minister.
“We will discuss issues like the status of Hindi in Fiji, Pacific region and indentured countries,” he added. Noting that more countries gained independence over the last 75 years resulting in a rebalancing of the international system, Jaishankar said initially, this took an economic form, but soon enough, it developed a political facet as well. “The trend in the global order is gradually creating greater multi-polarity and if it is to develop faster, it is essential that there is also cultural rebalancing,” the minister said. He said that in such a situation, the world must be informed about all cultures and societies and one way of doing that is by broadening the teaching and usage of languages, including Hindi. “The era when progress was equated with westernisation is now behind us. Many languages and traditions that were suppressed during the colonial era are once again finding a voice on the global stage,” he said. Thanking the Fiji government for being the collaborative partner for the 12th World Hindi Conference, he said that it was also an “opportunity for many of us to visit Fiji and promote our long-standing relationship.” Jaishankar’s visit is the first by an incoming ministerial delegation after the formation of the new government in Fiji in December last year. “Bula and Namaste Fiji. The 12th #VishwaHindiSammelan will begin from tomorrow in Nadi. Thank Minister of Education Aseri Radrodro for the warm welcome. Look forward to meeting Hindi enthusiasts from all over the world,” Jaishankar had tweeted earlier. During his three-day stay in the South Pacific archipelago nation, he is expected to have bilateral meetings with the new leadership of the country. Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister Biman Prasad had visited India last week. The first World Hindi Conference was organised in 1975 in Nagpur. Till date, 11 World Hindi Conferences have been organised in different parts of the world. The last conference was held in Mauritius in 2018. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .