Indian Consulate in Chicago celebrates World Hindi Day

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The Consulate General of India, Chicago in cooperation with Hindi Samanvay Samiti hosted World Hindi Day celebrations on February 17, 2024.

Hindi academicians, Hindi Organization, experts, school students, parents and non-resident Indians interested in Hindi language were present, a press release from the Consulate said.

The program focused on efforts being made for the promotion of Hindi language in schools and Universities in Chicago, Illinois, and other Midwest States in the US.

Consul General of India in Chicago Somnath Ghosh delivered the inaugural address.  In his speech, he lauded the efforts and the important role played by Hindi faculty in various Universities of the Midwest.

Consul General Ghosh praised the sincere efforts of representatives of Hindi Samanvay Samiti, International Hindi Committee-Indiana Chapter, Hindi Club of Illinois, Hindi US-St. Louis Chapter, Hindi School of Wisconsin and Bal Vihar-Chicago. These organizations, he noted, are regularly making efforts to promote and popularize Hindi in this region.  Mandi Theatre, Ekjut Theatre and Dramatech are also promoting Hindi through plays and theatre performances, he added.

Dr. Mithilesh Mishra, director of Hindi and South Asian Studies at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, delivered the  keynote address on “Traditional Knowledge of Hindi and Artificial Intelligence.”

Children presented Hindi songs, poems, and plays which promoted Indian culture and literature. The audience showed its appreciation with an enthusiastic response.  Performers included children from Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin who presented group songs and a small play in Hindi.

The program titled “Anubhav” saw participation by representatives of Hindi organizations who touched upon various activities promoting Hindi in their region.

Nodal Officer of Hindi Coordination Committee, Rakesh Malhotra, spoke about aspects of Hindi promotion in US  and efforts to include Hindi language as an optional subject in middle and high schools of the Midwest region.

Alka Sharma from Mandi Theatre and Anurag Misraraj from Dramatech spoke of their efforts related to Hindi promotion through theater.

Avtans Kumar from Indica-USA, Mayank Jain, Hindi-USA St. Louis, and Aditya Shahi, International Hindi Samiti, Indiana, as well as Shubhra Ojha, Roots to Hindi, Vidya Nahar, Balodyan, and Sunita Mehrotra, Hindi School of Wisconsin, also shared their views regarding various efforts made for promotion of Hindi in their respective Midwest states.