HindiUSA members Win Prizes at the UN

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United Nations – Four New Jersey based Indian Americans were awarded certificates of recognition and prizes at the United Nations Headquarters in New York recently at the First Hindi Diwas Commemoration organized by the Permanent Mission of India (PMI) to the UN.

The celebration was attended by UN high officials, a visiting delegation of India’s Members of Parliament and diplomats from Mauritius, Guyana, Nepal and Suriname. Officials highlighted UN initiatives to use Hindi in official communication in support of the UN’s principle of multilingualism, and about its widespread use.

A special award ceremony was also part of the celebration, with the PMI honoring with certificates and prizes the winners of several Hindi language competitions organized by the PMI through the year.

Four members of HindiUSA, a New Jersey based non-profit organization were among the top winners of the prizes.

Formed in 2001, HindiUSA, aims to teach the younger generation born in the US, Hindi language and the culture associated with it.

Among the Prize Winners were Yogita Modi and Indu Shrivastava of the poetry writing competition, Devansh Malhotra of Essay writing and Shreyansh Singh of poetry recitation.

Yogita Modi – Modi won the 1^st prize in original Hindi poetry writing on the importance of Hindi, Modi told News India Times. Modi’s poem speaks of the great place Hindi language holds in preserving the culture across the globe.

          संचारित हो भर रहा विश्व में अलौकिक नवचेतन,

          विस्तार में इसके समाहित है, संस्कृति का संरक्षण.

          A new consciousness is collecting in the world,

          Included in its expanse is the protection of Culture.

Modi said she was excited to receive the prize in the presence of dignitaries at the UN.

A Ph.D. in Finance from India. Modi is an IT Professional at Accenture which specializes in information technology services and management consulting.

Modi has been a volunteer Hindi teacher at HindiUSA for the past 11 years. She teaches Hindi classes Friday evenings.  “There are 9 levels of classes and a set curriculum with books. The classes are held during summer from June to September, she said.

Shreyansh Singh – Singh, winner of the first prize in poetry recital, is a second generation Indian American fifth grader at Millstone River Elementary School in Plainsboro, New Jersey.

School is fun for Singh, he told News India Times. He likes all the subjects, but Math and Science are his favorites, and he loves making friends at school, he said.

Singh sang the Sanskrit Ganesh Vandana, ‘Gananayaka, Ganadaivataya, Ganadakshaya, Dhimahi’, for his recital and was marked on his pronunciation, his enunciation and his singing.

Singh said he was excited when he learned about the prize, but could not be present at the award ceremony due to it being a school day. “But we celebrated a little bit,” he said.

11-years old Singh is serious and focused and unpretentious. He has also been learning Classical Hindustani Music since the age of 5. He also plays the guitar and the piano.

Singh said he feels Hindi language has relevance for him. “Knowing it will help me in my singing and my music,” he said.

He began learning Hindi two and a half years ago at HindiUSA. “I wanted to be able to speak with my family members here in the US and in Kolkata who only speak Hindi,” he said.

Devansh Malhotra – Fourteen years old Malhotra, the 2^nd prize winner in Essay writing on Women’s Empowerment, is a first generation Indian American, having lived in Delhi before immigrating. A high-school sophomore 10^th grader at the West Windsor Plainsboro High School South, Malhotra is a regular student volunteer teacher at HindiUSA.

Malhotra told News India Times he loves school. He gets to go to other classes, participate, meet new friends, he said. Math, science and computer science are his favorite subjects.

He said he discussed in his essay the problems women in India face even today, where many are expected to stay home and do housework, with no opportunity to work and be financially independent. His essay also discussed the stereotypical roles of women and restrictive mythological references, he said.

Malhotra was very happy when he received the prize at the UN, he said. “I had never seen the UN from inside. It was my dream to one day go in to see it, and the award ceremony made it possible,” he said.

Malhotra has also participated in original poetry writing competition of the Chicago based Bal Kavya Manch, as well as their essay writing competition. He is selected to anchor their future events and has also anchored the Hindi Mahotsava events, his father Vikram Malhotra told News India Times.

Hindi, for Malhotra, is a ‘profound medium’ and a ‘conduit for cultural traditions’, he said, adding, it increases exposure and comprehension.

Malhotra knows Hindi well, but likes to teach it to fellow students at HindiUSA, he said. “I will continue to volunteer and teach there,” he said.

Indu Shrivastava – Shrivastava won the third prize in poetry writing in Hindi. “Going to the UN, meeting dignitaries from India and other countries, appreciating and working to promote Hindi, was a priceless experience,” she told News India Times.

Her poem talks of Hindi’s long history.

          सदियों से रही हर पीढ़ी संग

          वट वृक्ष की हो यह जड़ें जैसे.

          It has been with every generation for centuries,

          Like the roots of a Banyan tree.

Shrivastava’s involvement with HindiUSA is more than 12 years old. Apart from regular teaching of Hindi, she is involved in editing HindiUSA’s annual journal Karmbhoomi, mentoring students, and being on the syllabus review committee.

“Hindi is my mother tongue and helps me stay connected to my roots in the US,” she said. She believes teaching Hindi to the younger generation is of utmost importance for them to connect with their grandparents and learn about the cultural history of India.