Hindi is increasingly establishing itself as a language of global communication, driven by social media, yoga, and international education, asserted BJP MP PP Chaudhary at the Hindi Diwas observance held at the UN on Thursday. Chaudhary emphasized that even in the digital age, Hindi continues to maintain its global relevance.
“Hindi is more than a language; it represents India’s identity, unity, and cultural spirit, connecting the entire country from north to south and east to west,” he said, highlighting its growing adoption worldwide.
Diplomats from countries with significant Indian diaspora populations shared insights on the role of Hindi in their societies. Chaudhary noted that Hindi is taught and used daily in countries such as Mauritius, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Fiji, and Guyana. The World Hindi Secretariat in Mauritius plays a key role in promoting the language internationally. He also highlighted that Hindi is taught in prominent U.S. universities including Harvard, Columbia, Cornell, Chicago, and Texas, with the United States home to a large Hindi-speaking community.
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, P. Harish, noted that while India recognizes 22 constitutional languages and thousands of dialects, Hindi holds a unique place, symbolizing the country’s diverse cultural fabric. He said the language has “transcended geographic boundaries and emerged as a popular global medium, aided by the Indian diaspora, Bollywood, and literature.”
Nepal’s Permanent Representative and Economic and Social Council President, Lok Bahadur Thapa, observed that Nepali and Hindi share linguistic roots in Sanskrit and the Devanagari script, with Hindi widely spoken in Nepal. He highlighted the country’s multicultural, multilingual, and multi-ethnic character, emphasizing unity in diversity.
UN Communications Campaigns Service Chief Nanette Braun noted that Hindi is the world’s third most spoken language, after English and Mandarin, serving as a powerful medium in international discourse. She highlighted the UN Hindi project, which launched Hindi-language social media platforms in 2018 and the UN Hindi News website in January 2019, attracting around 346,000 views from 193,000 active followers in the past year.
Representatives from Andorra, Burundi, Guyana, Trinidad, Mauritius, and Suriname highlighted the historical and cultural importance of Hindi. They discussed how the language has been preserved and adapted in their countries, whether through literature, cinema, music, religious practices, or education, forming a bridge between India and diaspora communities worldwide.
The event underscored Hindi’s growing global influence as a language that not only fosters communication but also preserves cultural identity, strengthens international ties, and promotes multilingualism at the United Nations.
