Mr. Mohammad Imran IPS, Registrar, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), stated at the opening ceremony of the Hindi Week celebrations, organized by the Official Language (Hindi) Implementation Committee, that Hindi as an official language is essential for preserving India’s unity and promoting shared culture.
He noted that Hindi is gaining in prominence and has also become the language of social media. “Even though English is currently recognized for technical and scientific work, a developed nation like Japan still uses its native language to teach science and technology,” he added. He also emphasized the importance of using Hindi in official duties.
Professor Ramesh Chandra Sharma, a former professor in the Hindi department, discussed the status of the language during various historical periods. He stated that there has always been a conflict between technical language and common language. Prof. Sharma remarked, “Language is not created by force, but rather operates on the basis of principles and evolves gradually.”
He shed light on the evolution of the relations between Hindi and Urdu and discussed how medieval rulers strengthened the ties between the two languages. He added that approximately sixty percent of the vocabulary in Hindi is derived from other languages.
Professor Mohammad Ashiq Ali, Secretary of the Official Language (Hindi) Implementation Committee and Chairman of the Department of Hindi, stated with satisfaction that the Hindi language is gaining in popularity and that the number of official documents written in Hindi has increased.
According to him, employment opportunities in Hindi have also grown. “Hindi is not only the native language of a substantial population, but also a symbol of national identity and pride. The Constituent Assembly of India adopted Hindi as the official language of India in 1949. Since then, it has been observed annually on September 14”, Prof. Ali added.
Presiding over the inaugural session, Professor Arif Nazir, Dean, Faculty of Arts, said that Hindi is an advanced language and the government is encouraging translation of original works in different languages, so that people from different linguistic backgrounds feel the richness of languages and they come closer.
Professor Shambhunath presided over the event, while Professor Tasneem Suhail offered the vote of gratitude. Prof. M Shahul Hameed, the Coordinator of the Hindi week event, was also present.
