NCIC calls on Govt to help promote Hindi in T&T

  • Sep, Sun, 2024

Freelance Correspondent

Government support is needed for the development of the Hindi language in T&T. This call was made by Independent Senator Deoroop Teemal, the president of the National Council of Indian Culture (NCIC).

He was addressing the opening of an International Regional Hindi Conference on Friday at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Cultural Cooperation at Mt Hope.

Teemal said private organisations have given more than their fair share of resources to develop the language in the region.

He said, “Hindi without state support cannot be carried by non-profit NGOs; it cannot. If we want to see Hindi reach a stage where it’s spoken and practised in our country, it can’t happen. You talking about NGOs who have serious problems with financial resources and physical resources; they run with volunteers.”

Teemal said the conference should develop a plan for the State to offer Hindi as an optional subject in secondary schools.

“Without that, we are spinning top in mud. We have to do it responsibly; we have to do it in a constructive way, we have to do it in a national way because, as citizens of T&T, we have to see the role of Hindi in our national fabric.”

Neil Parsanlal, the chairman of the board of NALIS, said they would be offering more space at libraries for Indian literature.

Parsanlal said Hindi can enrich the language of nationals and noted that several Hindi words are already part of T&T’s vocabulary.

“We give our commitment to make more spaces available to the Indian High Commissions.”

Renuka Sagramsingh-Sooklal, Minister of State in the Ministry of the Attorney General, spoke of her experience growing up in a household that spoke Hindi. She said, unlike her generation, today’s youths would not simply accept Hindi prayers and devotions without interpretations in English. She said understanding what various supplications mean in English would assist in the development of the language.

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