The 9th World Hindi Conference was inaugurated at a grand ceremony held in The Ballroom, named as Nelson Mandela Sabhagar at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa on 22nd September 2012.
The main theme of the conference is Bhasha Ki Asmita Aur Hindi Ka Vaishvik Sandarbh.
The conference was inaugurated jointly by the Minister of State for External Affairs, Government of India, Smt. Preneet Kaur and Shri Pravin Gordhan, Minister of Finance, Government of South Africa. The Minister of Art and Culture, Government of Mauritius Shri Mukhesswur Choonee, Deputy Foreign Minister, South Africa Mr. Marius Llewellyn Fransman, Smt. Ila Gandhi and Smt. Malthie Ramballi, President, Hindi Shiksha Sangh, South Africa also graced the occasion.
The programme commenced with colourful and musical presentations by the artists of Indian Cultural Centre in Johannesburg and the local folk artists of South Africa.
At the outset Shri Virendra Gupta, the High Commissioner of India in South Africa spoke about the cultural and historical links between India and South Africa, Mahatma Gandhi’s struggle against racial discrimination and the use of non-violence as the main tool of his struggle.
Shri M. Ganapathi, Secretary (West), Government of India paid rich tributes to the people of South Africa for keeping the language and culture of the native land of their ancestors alive despite adverse political circumstances and numerous upheavals faced by them. The Minister of Art and Culture, Mauritius Shri Mukhesswur Choonee spoke about the love of the people of his country for Hindi. He also invited the people gathered in the Nelson Mandela Sabhagar to the mini Conference of people of Indian diaspora to be held in Mauritius in the October 2012.
The Chairperson of the inaugural ceremony Smt. Preneet Kaur, Minister of State for External Affairs spoke about the link between the organization of the 9th World Hindi Conference in South Africa and Mahatma Gandhi’s association with this country and how, in this respect, coming to South Africa has been no less than a pilgrimage for the participants from India.
The Deputy Foreign Minister of South Africa Mr. Marius Fransman, Smt. Ila Gandhi, Smt. Malthie Ramballi, President of Hindi Shiksha Sangh also spoke on this occasion.
The opening ceremony was followed by the inauguration of a composite exhibition of Hindi books, IT tools etc. The exhibition has been put up jointly by National Book Trust, Kendriya Hindi Sansthan, C-DAC and co-ordinated by Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Vishwavidyalaya. It was followed a symbolic unveiling of the bust of Pandit Nardev Vedalankar, the founder of Hindi Shiksha Sangh in South Africa.
The academic sessions started in the afternoon. There were three parallel sessions on Mahatama Gandhi ki Bhasha Drishti Aur Vartaman ka Sandarbh, Africa mein Hindi Shiksha – Yuvaon ka Yogdan, Soochna Praudyogiki : Devnagari Lipi Aur Hindi ka Samarthya.
In addition there were two more parallel sessions for presentation of papers on Bhasha Ki Asmita Aur Hindi Ka Vaishvik Sandarbh, Mahatama Gandhi ki Bhasha Drishti Aur Vartaman ka Sandarbh, Loktantra Aur Media Ki Bhasha Ke Roop Main Hindi.
The themes for other academic sessions are Hindi : Film, Rangmanch Aur Manch ki Bhasha. Loktantra Aur media ki Bhasha ke Roop Mein Hindi, Videsh Mein Bharat : Bharatiya-Granthon ki Bhoomika, Gyan – Vigyan Aur Rozgar ki Bhasha ke Roop mein Hindi, Hindi ke Vikas Mein Videshi/Pravasi Lekhakon ki Bhoomika, Hindi ke Prasar Mein Anuwaad ki Bhoomika.
A large galaxy of scholars from India, South Africa and other countries attended the opening ceremony and the academic sessions.
List of Indian and Foreign scholars of Hindi being honoured at the Conference is provided below.
Johannesburg
September 23, 2012
