New York [US], October 10 (ANI): The Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations (UN), New York, organised the annual Commemoration of Hindi Diwas at the UN Headquarters on Thursday (local time), with the event being attended by the visiting delegation of Members of Parliament (MPs) from India, as well as Permanent Representatives (PRs), Deputy Permanent Representatives (DPRs), diplomats and UN officials from across the world.

Speaking at the event, Leader of India's first delegation to the UNGA, MP and Chairperson of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on One Nation One Election, PP Chaudhary, remarked that Hindi is not just a language; it symbolises India's spirit, identity, and unity.

He noted that Hindi, spoken by nearly 600 million people, has been a unifying force in India's freedom movement and continues to connect communities globally.

Chaudhary highlighted the Indian government's ongoing efforts to promote Hindi internationally, underscoring how the language serves as a bridge between India's cultural heritage and its global engagement. He further pointed out that Hindi's influence extends beyond politics into culture and art as well. The statement mentioned how Bollywood, the world's largest film industry, primarily speaks in Hindi.

'Through Hindi songs and films, this language has reached Russia, Egypt, Africa, and Latin America', he said.

Chaudhary expressed delight in noting that the use of Hindi is steadily growing across the world. In countries such as Mauritius, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Fiji, and Guyana, Hindi is being taught and used in daily life.

In the United States too, there is a large community of Hindi speakers, and universities like Yale organize debates in Hindi. In addition, renowned institutions such as Harvard, Columbia, Cornell, Chicago, and Texas offer courses in Hindi.

The Indian delegation leader also highlighted the significant role played by India in sponsoring the United Nations General Assembly resolution on multilingualism. For the first time, this resolution specifically mentioned Hindi. It called upon the United Nations to continue disseminating important information in non-official languages, including Hindi.

Ambassador P Harish, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, emphasised India's rich multilingual tradition and recalled India's leadership in advocating multilingualism within the UN system. He reaffirmed India's commitment to supporting Hindi's wider use at the UN through initiatives such as the Hindi@UN project, to which India provides dedicated financial support.

Permanent Representatives and diplomats from Nepal, Suriname, Mauritius, Andorra, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Burundi, and Micronesia lauded the growing global appeal of Hindi and its role in fostering cultural connections, according to the statement.

'They highlighted Hindi's deep roots in their societies--whether through shared heritage, diaspora bonds, or local linguistic traditions--and acknowledged India's pivotal role in promoting linguistic diversity and cultural diplomacy at the United Nations', an official statement read.

On this occasion, Members of Parliament from India felicitated the winners of various Hindi competitions organised by the Permanent Mission of India and presented them with certificates. (ANI)