Despite 7 resolutions, Hindi still not official language at the UN

Hindustan Times: Bhopal: Monday, 31 August 2015.

The World Hindi Conference has passed resolutions to recognise Hindi as a United Nation Organisation’s official language in seven of its nine conferences, but the resolutions haven’t being converted into actions so far.

It also seems unlikely that any step in this regard would be taken at the 10th World Hindi Conference which is to be organised in Bhopal September 10 onwards.

“My main concern is on its current status at home. The new generation is using Hinglish (a mix of Hindi and English),” said Anil Dave, vice-president of the organising committee and Member of Parliament.

Mohanlal Cheepa, vice-chancellor of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Hindi University said, “The resolution to make Hindi as an official language in the UN is passed in every conference but our efforts are to maximize use of Hindi in our own country.”

However, sources in the government cite completely different reason. A senior official in the organising committee of the World Hindi Conference expressed apprehension that the Union government was not moving ahead because of procedural and financial stakes involved in the move.

The official cited an RTI inquiry of a 12-year-old girl from Lucknow who had asked if Indian government had made any proposal at the UN to make Hindi an official language.

The reply, given in 2014, by the MEA also an organiser of the World Hindi Conference said that it may take about around Rs 83 crore per annum and 2-3% of inflation to make it possible and the actual cost may go even higher, considering changes in infrastructure at the UN conference halls, etc.

The proposal to make Hindi UN’s official language was first mooted at the first World Hindi Conference that was held in Nagpur in 1975.

The proposal was repeated in second conference as well that was held in Mauritius in 1976. Later at fourth World Hindi Conference held at Mauritius again the proposal was included in the resolution list.

The resolution was part of conferences held at Trinidad and Tobago in 1996, in UK in 1999, in Surinam in 2003 and again in the ninth conference held in Johanesburg in South Africa in 2012.