New Delhi: On the occasion of World Hindi Day, the Sahitya Akademi in New Delhi organized the Pravasi Hindi Sahityakar Sammelan (Overseas Hindi Writers Conference) in celebration of the Golden Jubilee year of the World Hindi Conference. The first World Hindi Conference, inaugurated on January 10, 1975, by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in Nagpur, Maharashtra, marked a significant milestone for the promotion of the Hindi language globally.
The conference, presided over by senior expatriate writer Divya Mathur from the UK, saw the participation of 13 prominent overseas Hindi writers from countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, Singapore, Myanmar, the Netherlands, and South Korea. These writers were honored for their significant contributions to Hindi literature and the preservation of the language in foreign lands.
The event commenced with the traditional presentation of Angavastram (a ceremonial cloth) as a mark of respect to the writers. In his welcome speech, K. Srinivas Rao, Secretary of Sahitya Akademi, acknowledged the growing diversity of expatriate literature, highlighting that this literature, deeply tied to the memories and experiences of its authors, has successfully carved its identity on the global literary map. He also informed the gathering about various initiatives and schemes launched by the Akademi to support and promote the works of expatriate writers.
Anil Joshi, representing the Global Hindi Family, introduced the writers and gave an extensive explanation of World Hindi Day. He emphasized that the Sahitya Akademi’s platform serves as the most crucial space for dialogue and publication for overseas Indian writers. In her presidential address, Divya Mathur stressed the importance of expanding Hindi’s reach across more countries, noting the vast potential for promoting the language worldwide and turning it into a truly global one.
Several writers from various countries presented short comments on the current status of Hindi and expatriate writing in their respective regions. Among them, Padmesh Gupta spoke about the situation in the UK, Anita Kapoor about the US, Tomio Mizokami from Japan, Aradhna Srivastava from Singapore, Chintamani Verma from Myanmar, Rama Takshak from the Netherlands, and Srijan Kumar from South Korea. They shared insights into the challenges and achievements of Hindi literature abroad.
Senior Hindi activist Narayan Kumar from India addressed the imminent challenges to Hindi’s global recognition, urging the need for strategies to strengthen its presence on the world stage. The conference also witnessed participation from several writers associated with the promotion of Hindi in Southern India.
The program concluded with a vote of thanks, and the proceedings were managed by Devendra Kumar Devesh, Deputy Secretary of Sahitya Akademi.
The event was a testament to the growing strength of Hindi literature across borders and reaffirmed the commitment of Sahitya Akademi to supporting the global Hindi-speaking community and its writers.
