The New Zealand Sanatan Naari Sabha has commenced Hindi classes for the younger members of the society.
Volunteers will teach the language every first Sunday of the month from 10 am to 12 pm at the Aotearoa Tertiary Institute (14 Walmsley Road) in Otahuhu.
I believe that as Indians, we should work together to reinstate the importance of Hindi in our lives and in our communities.
It is a pity that the language is gradually becoming insignificant and will eventually disappear, if we do not take appropriate steps now.
Our Hindi classes are a step in that direction.
Hindi is one of the official languages of India and is spoken widely throughout the world. It descended from ‘Hindustani,’ a colloquial form spoken in and around Delhi and North India.
Hindi has lost its ‘purity,’ since it is today mixed with many other languages.
I have observed that most people do not know even simple Hindi words.
Each language has its own identity and we should try to preserve its authenticity.
The main problem of the new generation is that it is gradually discarding Hindi.
Raised amidst English books and novels, most of our children do not want to read or write Hindi. Even parents think that learning Hindi would erode the English speaking skills of their children.
I agree that English is the best medium to interact with people around the world, but three is no need to converse with our own people in English.
Most people believe that they should learn English just to show that they belong to a ‘superior class.’
This should not be the case.
We can learn English in our schools and there is no need for our children to practice it at home. Parents should encourage their children to learn Hindi.
They should interact with them both in English and Hindi.
Mavis Singh is President of the New Zealand Sanatan Naari Sabha.
Email: sanatannaarisabha@gmail.com
