Hindi gains global prominence, fosters inclusivity: UN envoys

United Nations: Hindi has gained global prominence, transcending geographical boundaries to become a widely appreciated language that fosters inclusivity, UN ambassadors have said, as they emphasised the need to promote it to connect and empower people worldwide.

The Permanent Mission of India to the UN organised a special event in the UN headquarters on Friday to commemorate Hindi Diwas. The event was attended by a delegation of Indian parliamentarians, currently on a visit to the UN.

The delegation leader, Member of Parliament Birendra Prasad Baishya, highlighted the popular appeal of Hindi in different countries during his remarks at the event that was attended by several UN ambassadors and officials.

Beginning his remarks with “Namaskar doston”, Director of UN Department of Global Communications (DGC) Ian Phillips described Hindi’s global reach as “truly impressive”, noting that with over 600 million speakers worldwide, it is the third most spoken language in the world after English and Mandarin.

He said that Hindi was first spoken in the UN General Assembly in 1949.

“In a world where artificial intelligence is gaining ground, India has a major role to play and Hindi language remains a key channel to communicate with millions who represent the next generation of leaders,” Phillips said.

Nepal’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Lok Bahadur Thapa, said Hindi has played a crucial role in further expanding and strengthening people-to-people relations, engagements and linkages between India and Nepal.

“The Hindi language has played an important role in fostering economic opportunities and mobility between and among our peoples. Its widespread use has facilitated trade, tourism and cross-border business ventures,” he said.

Thapa said Hindi has enabled smoother interactions and collaborations, contributing significantly to economic growth and social cohesion in the region and beyond.

Hindi has played an essential role in multiple sectors, including education, health, social development and community engagement in the region and different parts of the globe, he said.

“Hindi carries a rich heritage and has facilitated the transmission of cultural identity and values. This language can also create opportunities for economic growth, educational advancement, healthcare improvements, social development and community engagement. It helps bridge gaps, foster collaborations and promote inclusivity in diverse regions,” Thapa said.

Mauritius' Permanent Representative to the UN Jagdish Dharamchand Koonjul said Hindi holds a place of profound significance in his country.

Noting that the language arrived in Mauritius with the indentured labourers in the 19th century, he said, “Despite numerous challenges, Hindi thrived in the country, becoming not just a means of communication, but a bridge to preserve traditions, spirituality and their cultural identity.” “Let us work together to promote Hindi as a global language, ensuring that it continues to inspire, connect and empower people across the world,” he said.

Guyana’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Trishala Persaud told the audience that Hindi words are used across everyday life in her country.

“Many of the Hindi words spoken in Guyana come from the Bhojpuri dialect of Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar,” she said, adding that it is very common to hear Guyanese refer to vegetables as ‘aloo and baigan’, or to eating ‘roti’, ‘dal’, ‘jalebi’ and hear relatives addressed lovingly as ‘Chacha’, ‘Chachi’, or ‘Aaji’.

The envoy noted that there has been discussion of introducing Hindi as a subject in public schools, with the main challenge being teaching personnel. Persaud recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s just concluded visit to Guyana during which he “listened to children singing and speaking in Hindi” appropriate “as a prelude” to Hindi Diwas.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish said Hindi has become a language synonymous with the vibrant cultural landscape of India and has transcended geographical boundaries to emerge as a popular language around the globe “on the strength of our diaspora as well as the prominence of Bollywood and classical literature”.

While there are 22 regional languages and thousands of dialects in India, Hindi holds a “special place” in the linguistically diverse country, Harish said, noting that Hindi is the most widely spoken language in India with nearly 450 million native speakers.

During his address, DGC Director Phillips said Hindi has contributed words like ‘jungle’, ‘pajamas’, ‘bungalow’, ‘yoga’ and ‘guru’ to the English language.

"Bollywood, the world's largest film industry, has popularised Hindi and Indian culture globally,” he said.

India had co-sponsored a UNGA resolution on multilingualism which for the first time mentioned Hindi along with Bangla and Urdu.

Phillips said in the spirit of multilingualism, India began a partnership with the Department of Global Communications in 2018 to present global news and multimedia content in Hindi.

The UN News Hindi website was launched in January 2019 and with the related social media platforms, “we continue to grow our reach and audience. Roughly 40% of active users are aged between 18 and 24 years old, and around 80% of traffic comes from mobile devices,” Phillips said.

UN News Hindi has evolved to create new content formats showcasing stories from the field, engaging audiences on issues like AI, youth empowerment and women's rights, he said.