Hindi Diwas 2021: History and significance

Hindi, India’s mother language, was adopted as one of the official languages of the nation in the Devnagiri script on September 14. To commemorate our love for the language, Indians on this day celebrate Hindi Diwas or Hindi Day. One of the key reasons behind this is to prevent the neglect of our mother tongue in youngsters who are largely driven towards the English language.

Also Read: How is the World Hindi Day different from the Hindi Diwas

The Father of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi once noted that Hindi was the language of the masses and talked about making Hindi the national language of the nation.

Today, on the occasion of Hindi Diwas, let’s understand the history and significance behind the day. 

Also Read: Five times world leaders spoke in Hindi to signify the reach of language

History of Hindi Diwas

This takes us back to the days when the constitution of our country, the biggest in the world, was in the making. The Constituent Assembly of India at that time accepted Hindi, written in Devanagari script, as the official language of India on September 14, 1949.

Officially, the first Hindi Day was celebrated on September 14, 1953. The reason behind adopting Hindi as one of the official languages was to simplify administration in a nation where a number of regional languages and dialects are spoken. Efforts were made by several writers, poets and activists for the adoption of Hindi as the official language.

Significance of Hindi Diwas

As discussed earlier, Hindi Diwas is celebrated every year to promote the Hindi language and create a sense of pride in the beautiful language. Today, Hindi is one of the most respected and globally recognised languages.

In order to promote Hindi, it is advised to use Hindi in place of English in all government offices. Many literary and cultural events are organised on this day across the nation, wherein people celebrate great works of Hindi literature.

Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar and Rajbhasha Gaurav Puraskar awards are also given to ministries, departments, public sector units (PSUs), nationalised banks and citizens on Hindi Diwas for their contribution and promotion of Hindi.