Hindi Diwas – 14th September 2020
It was in the year 1949 that the Constitution of India gave Hindi the status of being the official language in India. This eventful day was established on September 14th of the same year. The day then came to be celebrated as Hindi Diwas from then on.
The language verse of Hindi is written in the Devanagari script. The later created Constituent assembly of our country gave coveted status to the Hindi language under Article 343.
To keep it simple, September 14th is celebrated every year as Hindi Diwas in India. In this article, we discuss in detail about the history, significance, various themes and celebration accounts of the critical day. Let us go through each section in greater detail.
Hindi Diwas 2020 – History
The word ‘Hindi’ gets its roots from the term ‘Hind’, a Persian word which refers to ‘Land of river Indus’. If we trace the origin of Hindi, we may find the root lies in the Indo-European family branching into the Indo-Aryan subfamily division.
Since many ages, the language has become the improvised version of its original form. It was due to Mughal invasion and the influx of Persians that the language is a blend of many constituent types.
It goes back to the year 1925 before India gained independence. The Indian National Congress of India under the freedom rule unanimously declared that ‘Hindustani’ should be the national language of undivided India at that instance of history.
Hindustani in that context refers to the undivided form of both Hindi and Urdu. But a particular section of thinkers in the country was against the union of Hindi with Urdu. They called in for an exclusive Hindi speaking nation. The Hindi Sahitya Sammelan brought forward this proposal.
This caught the ire of the other communities, especially the Muslims of the nation. The congress party members were against this proposal and brewed a common distortion based on the upcoming issue.
Going forward to 1946, partition became imminent. India and Pakistan became separate nations. Along with this separation, the languages too became different for both of them.
Pakistan, under the Muslim League, had accepted Urdu as its most favourable language and continued to stick with its alignment even after partition. India, on the other hand, promoted the Hindi language and in 1949 established it as the official language of independent India.
Significance of Hindi Diwas 2020
Around 258 million people proudly call Hindi their mother tongue. The language is so popular that it is one of the four most widely spoken languages in the country.
The language was initially derived from the Sanskrit language. The script of the language is written in Devanagari. Hindi is not just spoken in the Indian subcontinent. It is spoken in different parts of the world, in the US, UK, UAE, Uganda, Nepal, Pakistan, Mauritius, Bangladesh, etc.
An unbelievable 78% of the population in India knows and speaks Hindi. This is indeed a considerable number for a nation that is multilingual in its roots.
The importance of the day can be attributed to the government’s efforts in bringing a standard version of the language that was sought as the official language of India.
Hindi, along with English, has been considered as the official languages of our country. In terms of the grammatical aspects, pronunciation, diction and most importantly, the spelling part needed a single and standard representation.
To help continue the efforts and bring the sought-after framework into working action, a day exclusively meant for Hindi was attributed. This day then popularly became the ‘Hindi Diwas’.
The importance of the day can also be scaled to the need to spread and propagate the language. This particular act of importance was started in the year 1953 on September 14th by the Rashtrabhasha Prachar Samithi [Wardha].
The two-point agenda of this organisation was to spread Hindi to even the remote corners of the country. The next thread of action was to propagate the importance of the language across the length and breadth of the nation.
Coincidentally, the government also celebrates the birthday of Rajendra Prasad on the same day. It is Dr. Prasad who committed an entire lifetime in working towards the cause of improving the language and giving it a high status that it certainly enjoys today.
Hindi Diwas 2020 Themes
One of the most practised themes of celebrating Hindi Diwas is the presentation of the Bhasha Samman award on the day. Writers, authors and exceptional literary marvels in Hindi are recognised on the day and awarded for their outstanding contribution towards the language.
What is unique about this award is its recognition of other languages on the same platform as the Hindi language. Literary heroes from other languages are also given credit on the same day through the prestigious award.
The day focuses primarily on the bygone era of literature. Classical forms of writing are of primary concern in the Bhasha Samman award ceremonies.
Bhasha Samman in particular honours a Hindi stalwart whose contribution towards the language has been immense and much appreciated. Some of the points of consideration include personal work towards the Hindi language, efforts on spreading the language far and wide, usage of language in different contexts, the spread of the language in various parts of the country, etc.
Hindi Diwas 2020 Celebration
The government usually dedicates an entire week starting from September 14th as Rajbhasha week. Every day different themes and anecdotes relating to the language are worked out.
The week also sees government offices conducting various events and competitions for its employees. Where the rest of the significant days are celebrated annually on one day, Hindi Diwas is celebrated as a week long event. During the week, unique ideas to promote the language through talks, discussions and debates are organised.
Schools and colleges are the best places where one gets to see the maximum celebrations of Hindi Diwas. Children using their creative and unique talent help promote the language.
They conduct plays and dramas in the Hindi language. The day also includes essay and debate competitions for students in Hindi. On the other hand, students prepare creative banners and hold placards and walk-in groups around their school neighbourhood, focusing on the importance of the language.
Conclusion
The word ‘Namaste’ used in the Hindi context is such a warm and pleasing gesture that today many foreign countries have adopted the practice. Such is the richness and heritage of the Hindi language that great writers and authors from distant foreign languages are also drawn towards it.
Our country has seen the rise and fall of cultures, communities, people and their practices. But what remained constant throughout is the language connection. People are bound by their national language – Hindi. Let us all do our bit to promote the language and make it famous for the forthcoming generations as well.
Hindi Diwas 2020 – Frequently Asked Questions
1. When is Hindi Diwas celebrated?
September 14th of every year is celebrated as Hindi Diwas.
2. Why do we celebrate Hindi Diwas?
Hindi Diwas is a day to commemorate the decision of the Indian constituent assembly to declare Hindi as one of the official languages of the country.
3. What is the Hindi Diwas?
Hindi Diwas is an annual celebration in India to specially mark the importance and popularity of Hindi language in the country.
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