CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: The grand event of Vishwarang 2024, dedicated to the global promotion of Hindi and the enrichment of literature, art, and culture, has played a significant role in strengthening the cultural and educational ties between India and Mauritius. The ideas that emerged from the intellectual discussions during various sessions of Vishwarang will lead us to take meaningful steps in that direction together. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Rabindranath Tagore University, Bhopal, and Mahatma Gandhi Institute, Mauritius, will offer long-term opportunities for creative and constructive work through mutual coordination. Heartfelt congratulations to Santosh Choubey, Director of Vishwarang and Chancellor of Rabindranath Tagore University, for the historic organization of Vishwarang and the MoU! Warm congratulations and best wishes to the representatives from various countries as well. These sentiments were expressed by Pravin Kumar Jugnauth, Prime Minister of the Republic of Mauritius, while addressing the closing ceremony of Vishwarang 2024.
On this occasion, Mr. Choubey, Director of Vishwarang and Chancellor of Rabindranath Tagore University, said that at the closing ceremony of Vishwarang, we are not saying goodbye; we are returning to our respective countries with a resolve to meet again… with new heights and new colors. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Rabindranath Tagore University and Mahatma Gandhi Institute, Mauritius, will provide significant opportunities for both countries to work together creatively in the fields of language, education, literature, art, and culture.
He further mentioned that during his visit to Mauritius in February, he had the good fortune of meeting the Honorable President, the Prime Minister, and the Deputy Prime Minister of Mauritius. At that time, meaningful discussions were also held with the important institutions and organizations of Mauritius, especially the World Hindi Secretariat, Mahatma Gandhi Institute, Rabindranath Tagore Institute, Hindi Speaking Union, Hindi Pracharini Sabha, Indira Gandhi Indian Cultural Centre, Mauritius Broadcasting, and Mauritius Television and Radio. It is noteworthy that the grand, unique, and unprecedented organization of Vishwarang 2024 in Mauritius is a pleasant outcome of those discussions.
Connecting One Crore People with Hindi Learning Program:
He further stated that the ‘Tagore International Hindi Centre’ has been established on the campus of Rabindranath Tagore University. A Hindi learning program has been developed for Hindi teaching and learning at the international level. Standardization and certification work has also been carried out. We aim to connect one crore people worldwide with the Hindi learning program.
Announcement of Afro-Asian International Vishwarang Award:
On this occasion, Santosh Choubey, Director of Vishwarang, announced that from Vishwarang 2025, an ‘Afro-Asian International Vishwarang Award’ will be conferred on a global personality working in the fields of education, literature, art, and culture.
Eminent Personalities Honored with Vishwarang Language Award 2024:
During Vishwarang 2024, personalities who have made significant contributions to Hindi in different contexts were honored by Prime Minister Pravin Kumar Jugnauth of Mauritius and Santosh Choubey, Director of Vishwarang and Chancellor of Rabindranath Tagore University. Among those honored were senior litterateur Dr. Laldev Anchraj (Mauritius), senior writer Dr. Hemraj Sundar (Mauritius), renowned folk singer Dr. Malini Awasthi (India), acclaimed Bengali singer Ms. Jayati Chakraborty (India), senior academician and writer Dr. Padmesh Gupta (UK), senior storyteller Dr. Divya Mathur (UK), and renowned technical expert and writer Dr. Balendu Dadhich Sharma (India).
Padma Shri Malini Awasthi Kindles Patriotism Through Folk Songs:
India’s renowned folk singer Padma Shri Malini Awasthi captivated the audience at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute, Mauritius, with her powerful folk songs under Vishwarang. When she presented patriotic folk songs that were once banned by the British, the eyes of the thousands of listeners present at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute (Mauritius) filled with tears. She paid tribute to the struggles of the indentured laborers with the song “Vande Mataram.”
Awards Ceremony for Winners of Pre-Events Held in Mauritius:
As part of Vishwarang’s pre-events in June-July in Mauritius, various competitions were organized at different levels. These included reading, speech, and poetry competitions by the Hindi Pracharini Sabha (Mauritius), a song competition by the Hindi Speaking Union (Mauritius), a dance competition by the Indira Gandhi Indian Cultural Centre (Mauritius), and a street play competition by the Mahatma Gandhi Institute (Mauritius). Thousands of students and youth participated creatively in these competitions. The winners presented their performances at the Vishwarang event, and Santosh Choubey honored all the winners with certificates and awards from Rabindranath Tagore University.
Recognition of Diaspora Writers:
All the diaspora writers who participated creatively in Vishwarang 2024 were ceremonially honored by Santosh Choubey.
Third-Day Sessions at Vishwarang:
The session on ‘Hindi Films and Global Hindi Promotion’ was chaired by senior poet and co-director of Vishwarang, Mr. Liladhar Mandloi. Participants included Ashok Mishra, Yudhishthir Manbodh (Mauritius), Vijay Malhotra, Indrajit Singh, Ritesh Mahavir (Mauritius), and Dr. Manish Chaudhary. The session was moderated by senior announcer Kamal Sharma from All India Radio, Mumbai.
The session on ‘New Expressions in World Hindi Literature’ was chaired by senior poet Dr. Jitendra Srivastava. Participants included Dr. Nikita Obigadoo (Mauritius), Nilesh Raghuvanshi (India), Shubhankar Mishra (Mauritius), and Ramkumar Tiwari (India). The session was moderated by Vinay Upadhyay, Director of Tagore International Centre for Arts and Culture.
The discussion on ‘Achievements of Hindi Through Vishwarang’ was chaired by Santosh Choubey, with creative conversations with diaspora writers. The session was coordinated by Kunal Singh and organized by Jyoti Raghuvanshi.
The session on ‘Global Opportunities and Challenges in Hindi Translation’ was chaired by senior poet Arun Kamal (India), with contributions from senior poet Dr. Jitendra Srivastava (India), San-Yan-U (South Korea), Dr. Sufrmo Tolibi (Russia), Rita Kumar (India), and Dr. Tanuja Padarath Bihari (Mauritius). The session was moderated by young storyteller Kunal Singh.
The session on ‘Hindi: Medium and Standardization (With Reference to Devanagari Script)’ was chaired by senior writer and translator Janki Prasad Sharma (India), with contributions from Balendu Dadhich Sharma (India), Prof. Ved Prakash Singh (Japan), Alka Dhanpat (Mauritius), Dr. Sanjita Verma (Nepal), and Dr. V. Venkateshwara Rao (India). The session was moderated by Dr. Jawahar Karnawat.
In the “Meet the Writer” session, senior poet Balram Gumasta engaged in a discussion with senior storyteller Mukesh Verma, Savita Bhargava (India), and Aparna Vats (Australia) on various aspects of poetry.
The session on ‘Critical Perspective and Diaspora Literature’ was chaired by Santosh Choubey. Participants included senior editor-critic Akhilesh (India), editor of Prabasi Sansar Dr. Rakesh Pathak (India), Dr. Lakshmi Jhumman (Mauritius), and Dr. Suresh Ritupurna (India). The session was moderated by young critic Achyutanand Mishra (India).
The session on ‘Artificial Intelligence: Hindi and Future Challenges’ was chaired by senior writer-journalist Priyadarshan. Participants included Balendu Dadhich Sharma (India), Vandana Mukesh (UK), Prof. Raj Shekhar (Mauritius), and Maheep Nigam (India). The session concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Siddharth Chaturvedi, co-director of Vishwarang, and was moderated by Sanjay Singh Rathore, Secretary of Vishwarang Secretariat.
In the “Meet the Writer” session, senior storyteller Ashutosh engaged in a conversation with young storyteller Ashutosh. Similarly, young storyteller and editor of Vanmali Katha, Kunal Singh, held a discussion with senior poet Nilesh Raghuvanshi.