Dehradun: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday called for taking Hindi beyond classrooms and books and establishing it as a strong language of science, technology, research, artificial intelligence and the digital world.
Speaking at a Hindi Diwas programme organised at the Chief Minister’s Camp Office, Dhami said Hindi was not merely a medium of communication but a powerful expression of India’s national consciousness, cultural identity and civilisational heritage.
Extending Hindi Diwas greetings to writers, litterateurs, linguists, students and Hindi enthusiasts, the chief minister said the occasion was an opportunity to preserve the pride of India’s culture, civilisation and national consciousness and pass it on to the younger generation.
“Hindi has served as a bridge of communication among India’s different regions, languages, dialects and cultures and has strengthened the spirit of unity in diversity,” Dhami said.
He recalled that the Constituent Assembly adopted Hindi in the Devanagari script as the official language of the Union on September 14, 1949, and said Hindi Diwas was an occasion to take pride in one’s language, national identity and cultural heritage.
‘A language must move with technology’
Dhami said the nature of communication and knowledge was changing rapidly with the emergence of artificial intelligence, robotics and digital technologies.
“Hindi cannot remain confined to books and classrooms. It has to become a strong language of science, technology, research and the digital world,” he said.
Calling upon young people to learn new technologies and other languages while remaining proud of Hindi and their mother tongues, Dhami said linguistic advancement and technological progress could go hand in hand.
He quoted noted Hindi writer Bharatendu Harishchandra, saying that one’s own language was fundamental to progress. A society that preserves its language, he said, also protects its culture, identity and collective memory.
PM Modi has given Indian languages global visibility: Dhami
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, Dhami said Indian culture and languages had gained greater recognition on global platforms.
He said the prime minister had consistently projected India’s cultural identity and civilisational heritage with confidence before the world.
“When we take pride in our language, culture and roots, the world also respects our rich heritage,” Dhami said.
Uttarakhand’s literary legacy highlighted
Dhami also highlighted Uttarakhand’s contribution to Hindi literature and Indian literary traditions.
He recalled the contribution of Sumitranandan Pant, who gave an enduring poetic expression to the Himalayas and nature. He also referred to Gaura Pant ‘Shivani’, whose writings brought Uttarakhand’s folk life and women’s consciousness to readers across the country.
The chief minister said poet Chandrakunwar Bartwal gave a distinctive voice to the emotions and sensibilities of the Himalayas, while contemporary writers such as Prasoon Joshi were carrying forward the state’s rich literary tradition.
Regional languages are integral to Uttarakhand’s identity
Dhami said Uttarakhand’s linguistic identity was not limited to Hindi. The state’s rich collection of regional languages and dialects—including Garhwali, Kumaoni, Jaunsari, Bhotia, Tharu and Bangani—forms an important part of its cultural heritage.
He said the state government was committed to preserving, promoting and honouring regional languages, literature and writers alongside Hindi.
Financial support for writers and literature
The chief minister outlined several initiatives being undertaken by the state government to encourage literary activity.
Under the ‘Dirghakalin Sahitya Sevi Samman’, writers who have devoted their lives to literature are being provided an honourarium of Rs 5 lakh.
The ‘Uttarakhand Sahitya Gaurav Samman’ recognises writers in Hindi as well as regional and other languages, including Garhwali, Kumaoni, Jaunsari, Punjabi and Urdu.
Under the ‘Sahitya Bhushan’ award, outstanding litterateurs are provided a cash award of Rs 5.51 lakh, he said.
Push for reading culture and digital preservation
Dhami said the government was also working to connect Hindi and regional languages with digital platforms and encourage a culture of reading through initiatives such as ‘Book nahi, Book denge’.
Financial assistance is also being provided to writers for publication of their works, while the Language Institute is working towards collecting, preserving and publishing Uttarakhand’s unpublished and scattered literary material.
The chief minister said preserving literature was not merely about protecting old writings but also about ensuring that the experiences, traditions, languages and cultural memory of Uttarakhand remained accessible to future generations.
The programme was attended by Cabinet Minister Ganesh Joshi, MLAs Savita Kapoor and Umesh Sharma Kau, Prof Jagat Singh Bisht, Language Department Secretary Umesh Narayan Pandey, Language Director Mayawati Dhakariyal and other dignitaries.
The programme concluded with an emphasis on strengthening Hindi while simultaneously preserving Uttarakhand’s diverse linguistic heritage and ensuring that India’s languages remain relevant in the rapidly evolving digital and technological era.