On the 14th of September, Indians unite in celebration of National Hindi Diwas, a day brimming with pride and significance. It commemorates a pivotal moment in our history when, on this very day in 1949, the Hindi language was officially embraced as one of the languages of our great Republic of India. With its graceful Devanagari script, Hindi was enshrined as the language of our nation, and this momentous decision has continued to shape our identity ever since.
It was on the 14th of September in 1953 that India celebrated its very first Hindi Diwas, marking the beginning of a tradition that resonates with millions of our countrymen. Today, Hindi stands tall as the mother tongue for about 425 million people, while an additional 120 million proudly speak it as their second language.
On this auspicious occasion, Union Home Minister Amit Shah eloquently expressed, “Hindi is the beacon that illuminates the rich tapestry of India’s diverse languages—a unifying force in the world’s largest democracy. From the days of the independence movement to the present, Hindi has been the beating heart that unites our great nation.”
Hindi’s resounding presence is felt across states such as Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and Punjab. Beyond our borders, Hindi echoes in countries like Mauritius, Nepal, Fiji, Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, where it finds a warm embrace.
The celebration of Hindi Diwas holds a significant purpose—to stem the tide of the English language’s growing influence in our country. Mahatma Gandhi, the father of our nation, hailed Hindi as the language of the masses. Across India, literary and cultural festivities come alive in the spirit of Hindi Diwas. Notably, awards like the Rajbasha Kirti Puraskar and Rajbhasha Gaurav Puraskar are bestowed upon ministries, departments, public sector units, and Public Sector Banks for their commendable efforts in promoting and preserving Hindi.
This day also marks the birthday of the illustrious Indian writer Simha, whose relentless dedication helped elevate Hindi to the status of an official language.
India’s linguistic diversity is a marvel in itself. The Indian Constitution recognizes 22 major languages under “the 8th Schedule,” including Sanskrit, Assamese, Bangla, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kashmiri, Kannada, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Santali, Sindhi, and Urdu.
Originally, the 8th Schedule included only 14 languages, with Bodo, Dogri, Konkani, Maithili, Manipuri, Nepali, Santali, and Sindhi gaining recognition later, enriching our linguistic tapestry.
As we celebrate Hindi Diwas, let us embrace the linguistic diversity that makes India truly remarkable, and let our collective pride in Hindi continue to unite us as one nation, one people.