By Amit Sarwal and Jitarth Jai Bharadwaj
Melbourne-based well-known Hindi and Sanskrit writer and translator Dr Mridul Kirti has been awarded ‘Vishv Hindi Samman’ (World Hindi Award) at the 12th World Hindi Conference.
Dr Kirti has translated Hindu scriptures such as Samaveda and Ashtavakra Gita written in the classic Sanskrit language into an easily understandable Hindi and Brij Bhasha.
India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar inaugurated the Vishwa Hindi Sammelan in Nadi, Fiji.
During the Conference, noted Hindi scholars from India and other countries were honoured with “Vishwa Hindi Samman” for their special contribution to the field.
The main theme of the conference was “Hindi – Traditional Knowledge to Artificial Intelligence”.
Dr Jaishankar, in his first-ever visit, thanked the Government of Fiji for hosting the conference and added that such events promote a long-standing relationship between the two nations. He observed:
“In events like World Hindi Conference, it is natural that our focus should be on various aspects of the Hindi language, its global use, and its dissemination. We will discuss issues like the status of Hindi in Fiji, the Pacific region and indentured countries.”
The decision to organize the 12th World Hindi Conference in Fiji was taken at the 11th World Hindi Conference held in Mauritius.
The concept of World Hindi Conferences was envisaged by Rashtrabhasha Prachar Samiti, Wardha in 1973. As a result, the first World Hindi Conference was organized four and half decades back from January 10-12, 1975 in Nagpur, India.
The 12th conference also featured exhibitions on the evolution of Hindi.
Listen to Dr Mridul Kirti’s exclusive conversation with Dr Amit Sarwal and Jitarth Jai Bharadwaj.
