Hindi is flourishing in Mauritius and the island nation boasts of a number of publications, TV and radio programmes in the India-origin language, said a litterateur.
Ramroop Rohini, a litterateur from Mauritius who is part of a 15-member delegation currently visiting India, said Hindi, brought to the tiny nation by indentured labourers from India, has not only survived there but also thrived.
"As we know, our forefathers came to Mauritius as indentured labourers in 1834. Over a period of time, our ancestors not only survived there beating all odds, but also kept their culture and language alive," said Rohini, who works for propagating the language in Mauritius.
Rohini is a member of the Hindi Pracharini Sabha of Mauritius, an educational, cultural and social organisation that promotes Hindi and its literature in the Indian Ocean country.
The Sabha's motto is "Bhasha Gayi to Sanskriti Gayi" (If language is lost, culture too is lost).
Rohini was speaking at a seminar on "Hindi world of Mauritius and journalism" yesterday.
The event was organised jointly by the Garware Institute and city-based NGO Abhiyan in the University of Mumbai's Department of Journalism at Kalina.
Rohini said, "Hindi is so rich in our country (Mauritius) that we have several publications in Hindi and ample time is given to the language on television and radio.
"We have an umpteen number of educational institutes offering MA, M Phil and PhD courses in Hindi language."
Rohini and 14 other members of the delegation are in India to learn more about Hindi and its influence on the country and its people.
Another speaker Vicharti Issuri highlighted the role of the Indian cinema in popularising Hindi in Mauritius.
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