Simplify Hindi news to reach masses: Ambika Soni

The Hindi media should use simpler words to reach out to the non-Hindi speaking population, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said Tuesday, Sep 14.

'Some papers use very difficult Hindi words which cannot be understood by those who don't have Hindi as their mother tongue,' Soni said while participating in a seminar on the Hindi media on the occasion of 'Hindi Divas'.

Union Public Service Comission (UPSC) board member Purushottam Agarwal, CNN-IBN chief editor Rajdeep Sardesai, writer Namwar Singh, Hindi expert of Spanish origin Oscar Pujol, poet Ashok Chakradhar and editor and publisher of Hindi newspaper Dainik Bhaskar Ramesh Chandra Agarwal, among others, participated in the event.

While Namwar Singh expressed apprehensions about the increased mix of languages used in the media, Pujol found colonialism the reason for continuing supremacy of English. Purushottam Agarwal, meanwhile, stressed on increasing knowledge literature in the language.

Full report here Sify

Alhar Bikaneri remembered

The 74th birthday function of humourous poet late Alhar Bikaneri was organised today at Haryana Bhawan, New Delhi. Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda was the Chief guest and the function was presided over by Prof. Ashok Chakardhar, Vice President of Kendriya Hindi Sansthan, Government of India. Media Advisor to Haryana Chief Minister Mr Shiv Bhattia, former Haryana Minister Mr Subhash Batra, well-known literary figure and former MP Mr Udai Pratap Singh and well-known literary figure Dr Kunwar Bechain, besides a number of friends, poets and admirers of Alhar Bikaneri were present at the function.

At the very outset, the poet Pawan Dikshit recited the poem ‘Data Ek Ram’ written by Alhar Bikaneri. After that a  short film prepared by Chirag Jain was  screened, in which Alhar Bikaneri was shown presenting his poetry at the  Kavi Sammelans.

Udai Pratap Singh spoke about different facets of the poetry of Mr Alhar Bikaneri and urged upon the Haryana Government to bring out a Reference Book on Mr Alhar Bikaneri, who belonged to Haryana.

Full report here Indianews

Lost in homeland

Ashok Chakradhar talks about promoting Hindi that people speak in their everyday life

They become stars overnight by delivering impressive dialogues in Hindi films and then these actors of Hindi cine-industry shy away from giving interviews in Hindi. Hindi probably doesn't match their class. Hardly are any celebrities heard speaking in Hindi. For most youngsters, (and now even toddlers in our metros), the usage of spoken Hindi is considered behind the times. When did Hindi become a language of the old-fashioned and semi-literate? When did we start disgracing our national language?

In a candid interview, eminent Hindi poet, writer, anchor and activist Ashok Chakradhar highlights people's apathy towards our national language and offers practical solutions towards saving Hindi.

In fact, even before you ask him about the state of Hindi, Chakradhar, the vice president of the Hindi Academy, speaks his mind, “I accept that Hindi is losing its prominence and popularity among the young generation. It is said that in 20-25 years from now, Hindi will become the language of rickshaw pullers and vegetable sellers and the like. Still, Hindi has the power to sustain and also spread and ‘truly' become the language of every Indian. All it needs is some serious conscientious thinking and planning by one and all, especially by the Government, linguists and Hindi departments of our universities towards making it a common man's language.”

Full report here Hindu