One of the two official languages of India, Hindi has two separate dedicated days annually to observe its importance, one of which is January 10. And as it is the fourth most-spoken first language in the world, unsurprisingly the global leaders have tried to speak Hindi to connect with the native population. So, here is a list of people, who spoke in Hindi and caught the attention of the world.

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

Barack Obama

In 2015, former US President Barack Obama surprised everyone during his visit to India, when he sprinkled his public speech at Delhi’s Siri Fort Auditorium with phrases like “Bahut dhanyawad” and “Jai Hind”. Not only this, but in a joint news conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Obama greeted everyone saying, “Namaste. Mera Pyaar Bhara Namaskar.” He concluded the meet with another Hindi expression, “Chale saath saath.”

Donald Trump

Outgoing US President Donald Trump left the world shocked before the 2016 presidential election when he adopted Modi’s main campaign slogan for his own campaign advertisement. “Ab ki baar, Modi sarkaar.” Those were the words Modi used to fuel his landslide victory in May 2014 and Trump changed it to “Ab ki baar, Trump sarkaar.”

David Cameron

Introducing Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a massive crowd at London’s Wembley Stadium on November 14, 2015, former UK Prime Minister David Cameron borrowed his catch-phrase ‘Acche Din (good times)’. “They said Acche Din Aane Waale Hai, under Modi Acche Din Zaroor Ayenge (Under PM Modi, good times will come),” Cameron said while addressing 60,000 members of the Indian community.

Abdulla Shahid

In September last year, Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid thanked India for the financial aid provided to the island nation to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. Expressing his gratitude in Hindi, Shahid stated, “The whole world is faced with a never-seen-before crisis. We are up against an enemy that we can’t see. We cannot ignore the dangers posed by the enemy.”

Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the first external affairs minister to deliver a speech in Hindi at the UN General Assembly, effectively raised India’s stand on key issues like nuclear disarmament, state-sponsored terrorism and reforms at the world body. Vajpayee, who was known for his great oratory skills, first addressed the UNGA’s 32nd session in 1977.