India High Commissioner offers help with Hindi

Education Minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh says the teaching of Hindi continues to have tremendous historical, cultural and  social significance for T&T and India. The minister said this on Saturday night as he addressed the 25th Hindi Nidhi Indian Arrival Day Dinner at Centre Pointe Mall, Chaguanas. He said, “The teaching of Hindi and preservation of other aspects of the culture and heritage of our East Indian immigrants continue to have tremendous historical, cultural and social significance for Trinidad and Tobago.”

He said that indentured labourers came to T&T and Hindi for them became the way to express grief, love and joy and in all, to communicate their feelings and to bind together as a people. “Our Indian immigrants left us with a rich musical heritage where Hindi is evident in Hindi folk music and chutney. Hindi has a cross-influence with calypso and soca. It continues to be an inspiring aspect of our country’s unity, diversity and multiculturalism,” he noted.

Gopeesingh said that Hindi can benefit trade links between India and Trinidad and Tobago. He said the Hindu epic, the Ramayana-poems composed by the 16th century Indian poet, Tulsidas, are popular in this country. Indian High Commissioner, Sri Malay Mishra, gave an historical account of Hindi and promised an aggressive programme to accelerate the teaching of Hindi in T&T, promising additional support wherever necessary. “Hindi is a universal language and Trinidad and Tobago must share and promote it,” Mishra said.