Fiji will be hosting the 12th World Hindi Conference next year.
This has been confirmed by the Permanent Secretary for the Office of the Prime Minister, Yogesh Karan who says Fiji is proud to be hosting the event in Fiji.
Speaking at the Regional Hindi Conference held at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva today, Karan says that for many decades the Fiji-Hindi language has been part of our national heritage and it is a part of who we are and we should be proud of our language.
He says this conference will give Fijians an opportunity to promote our language.
Karan also says that we need only consider endeavors and backgrounds represented in this conference and the World Hindi Conference at large to understand that Hindi is truly global language.
He says that the Fiji constitution declares Fiji Hindi as one of the three official languages.
The Permanent Secretary says that within the constitution, conversational and contemporary Hindi is mandated as a compulsory subject in all primary school in the country.
Without concrete steps to protect Hindi in Fiji, the intricacies will all be lost to more mainstream dialects and this is what we fear.
He says the Fijian constitution protects Hindi in Fiji.
He adds that there are radio stations and Hindi is also taught in schools and universities and this must be continued.
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