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The cultural group Singapore Sangam hosted a celebration of Hindi language and culture on Sept 17 at the Civil Service Club.
Supported by the High Commission of India and the Mauritius-based World Hindi Secretariat, the event was a unique amalgamation of linguistic competitions, an awards ceremony, cultural showcases and a book launch, with India’s High Commissioner to Singapore Shilpak Ambule as guest-of-honour.
Singapore schools that offer the Hindi language as a subject put up shows, making the event a true celebration of linguistic diversity.
Singapore Sangam is a platform that unites a majority of Hindi-teaching institutions across the island.
National University of Singapore students who study Hindi, took the stage as emcees, capturing the 200-strong audience’s attention with their engaging presence.
A significant highlight of this year’s festivities was the introduction of the Hindi Samman awards, recognising individuals and organisations that promote and preserve the Hindi language and culture in Singapore.
The Hindi Shikhar Samman – the highest honour for Hindi enthusiasts in Singapore – was posthumously presented to Mr Sivakant Tiwari, the founding president of the Hindi Society in Singapore, and Mr O.P. Rai, principal of the DAV Hindi School.
Eight others – Ms Aruna Singh, Dr Bina Mishra, Ms Nilima Gupte, Ms Poonam Chugh, Ms Mamta Mandal Singh, Mr Vinod Dubey, Mr Harsh Vardhan Goyal and Dr Saurabh Srivastava – from diverse Hindi fields encompassing education, culture, language and literature, were honoured with the Hindi Sevi Samman.
Adding a literary dimension to the proceedings was the release by Mr Ambule of Ms Pratima Singh’s poetry collection Sandesh Prem Ka (Messages Of Love).
V.K. SANTOSH KUMAR
