Date:27/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/27/stories/2008112761800600.htm

Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi

Learning of Hindi encouraged

Staff Reporter

TIRUCHI: Getting enriched with new translations is what makes Hindi attractive as a language, eminent literary critic, Prema Nandakumar said.

Translated literature in Hindi is spread like a huge ocean, Dr. Nandakumar said while delivering her special address at the Hindi Divas organised by the Income Tax Department here on Wednesday.

On the important position that Hindi was occupying in the country, she said that it was in the thirties and forties that the decision to make Hindi our national language was taken. Mahatma Gandhi strove hard to get people accept the idea.

In South India, Rajaji worked hard to get this idea into our consciousness.

Rajaji was of the view that English cannot remain perpetually in the country.

He was of the firm view that only an Indian language should be the national language.

“A majority of the Indian population speak Hindi. This is the reason why we advocate Hindi as the national language”, Rajaji had pointed out.

Dr. Nandakumar said, Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore had fully understood the importance of Hindi and other regional languages.

Tagore observed that “Modern Indian literature is like a full blown thousand-petalled lotus. Each petal is one regional language and has a rich literature of its own. If even one is left out, the lotus will lose its beauty. I want each regional language with rich literature to remain the queen of its state. The thoughts of all the people are reflected in the literature in poetic language and in this garland of modern languages, may Hindi be the central gem”.

The Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Tiruchi K.K. Tripathi, Commissioner of Income Tax, Tiruchi R. K. Kakkar, Additional Divisional Railway Manager, Tiruchi Ramasubbu, Passport Officer, Tiruchi S. Balachandran, National Informatics Centre, Technical Director Shivakumar and District Forest Officer, Tiruchi D. Mani participated.

The Hindi Divas was marked by cultural programmes and distribution of prizes to the Department staff who emerged winners in different competitions.

The competitions were conducted on Hindi Handwriting, Memory Retention and Hindi Songs. Dr. Nandakumar distributed the prizes.