Hundreds of academicians, business professionals, public officials and community leaders unanimously adopted a resolution to establish an ‘International Hindi Center’, as a vibrant hub of academic and cultural activities focused onpromoting Hindi as a world language.
The delegates of the Second International Hindi Conference held at Rutgers University campus in New Jersey from April 3 to 5, 2015, unanimously approved the resolution as Ambassador Dnyaneshwar Mulay, Consul-General of India, who chaired the event, formally declared it adopted at the concluding session on April 5, the final day of the three-dayevent. Organized byHindi Sangam Foundation, a community organization dedicated to promotion of Hindi in USA, the conference was sponsored by Rutgers University,a number of US and India based universities, corporations and institutions, such as, Air India, Bank of India, State Bank of India, TV Asia and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. The consulate general of India actively supported the event.
Ambassador Mulay assured the audience that the Government of India would support the establishment of ‘Hindi Center’ in USA. Promising to use his good offices for raising funds for the center, Mulay said, “Hindi Center will become a reality soon where all educational activities regarding Hindi learning including exchange programs and joint projects with India based institutions and universities will take place under one roof.”
Mulay, an accomplished author and poet, also inaugurated the conference on August 3 at the Rutgers University campus in New Brunswick, where senior Rutgers University officials elaborated upon growing relationship between Rutgers and various institutions in India. Dr. Joanna Regulska, Rutgers University Executive Vice President for International and Global Affairs, expressed her happiness over the strong support extended by Government of India to Rutgers.
According to a blueprint presented by Dr. Ved Chaudhary, a Hindi Sangam Foundation official, an independent facility for the center would cost over four million Dollars to construct in Central New Jersey, where Rutgers is located. Members of high distinction in the promotion of Hindi representing North America, Caribbean Islands and South American nations, nominated by Hindi Sangam Board of Trustees, would comprise the board of advisors. The Consul-General of India will be a permanent invitee.
The proposal to establish Hindi Center was originally adopted by the First International Hindi Conference, held at the New York University campus on April 25-27, 2014. It was endorsed by International Hindi Conference, Mauritius through a similar resolution on October 30-Novermber 3, 2014.
More than 250 delegates from various US and India and Canada based universities, businesses and educational institutions attended the three-dayevent, whichcomprised discussions on a verities of educational topics, such as, ‘Hindi for professional purposes’, Status of Hindi literature in the Indian Diaspora, Status of Hindi on the web, and Hindi story writing. A poets’ conclave (Kavi Sammelan) and a two-hour play were also performed at the conference.
Internationally renowned academicians and research scholarsincluding Dr. Christi Merrill, University of Michigan, Dr. Mary Curran, Rutgers, Dr. Satya Santosh, Indian Institute of Delhi, Dr. Surendra Gambhir, UPenn, Dr. Gabriela Nik Ilieva, NYU, and Dr. Hemanti Bannerji, Wharton School of Business, presented their papers and took part in discussions. The papers are posted on the conference website.
“Rutgers University was very encouraged by the enthusiasm of the conference participants”, said Asher Ghertner, Director of SASP, Rutgers University. “We would like strengthen our relationship with the Indian American community and Hindi Sangam”, he announced. Rutgers manages a number of programs about India thorough its departments and centers on diverse topics.
