Official language felicitation and colloquium convened at Chintan Bhawan

GANGTOK: “Sikkim does not have the culture to converse in Hindi and the regional Nepali language is the mode of communication here. However, this does not mean that Hindi has taken a back seat, since it is now being used tremendously here,” shared Governor BP Singh at the Zonal Official Language Felicitation Function and Colloquium for Eastern and North-Eastern Regions, during which 50 individuals were honoured, held at Chintan Bhawan on Thursday.
The function was organized by the Department of Official Language, Ministry of Home Affairs.

The Governor was addressing a gathering of delegates which included scholars, officials, educationists from the state, centre and abroad. The main aim of the function was to promote the use of Hindi in all educational institutions and government offices in the country, especially in the north-east because it is this language, they contended, “which brings people from all communities, religions and backgrounds together and unites them”.
The Governor, while welcoming the delegates, briefed them on the people, culture and traditions of the state and the Sikkimese people.
“I am extremely happy to be amongst you to be giving away these awards because a long time back, when I was the Home Secretary, I too was conferred with the same respect, at a similar platform in which you are being felicitated today. I am privileged to honour you who have contributed so much to the national language,” expressed the Governor.
The Governor also stressed that Hindi should be ‘incorporated’ in computer studies and also on the internet which had a larger reach than any other medium.
While stating that the promotion of Hindi did not intend at creating a “conflict” with the other languages, the Secretary, DOL, Veena Upadhaya, stressed, “ I understand that English is important and plays an important role in the world scenario, but in India we have to promote our national language which is Hindi or it will be wiped out. We have no antipathy against other languages, but at the same time, want to develop a sense of love and respect for our national language.”
It was also informed today that Sikkim was growing as a state as far as the grades granted by the Ministry were concerned with initiatives like 80 percent of the work done at the Botanical Survey Office in Gangtok now being done in Hindi. It was further informed that the Hindi results in the class X board exams were also satisfactory here.
“We are also working towards making Hindi a compulsory subject in the XIIth standard as well”, stated the DOL Secretary.
The prospects in the region were so exceptional that the Central Ministry has awarded a Rs 20 crore package for the department as against only 5 crores in the last financial year, for which the contribution of the Home Minister P. Chidambaram was acknowledged today. A website of the department is also scheduled to be launched by May, it was further informed.