World Hindi Day celebrations

World Hindi Day was celebrated on a grand scale on January 10 in Sri Lanka. High Commissioner of India Ashok K. Kantha was the Chief Guest at the inauguration of a Hindi Film Festival organised by the Department of Hindi Studies University of Kelaniya on January 9.

The five day Film Festival was organised to celebrate the World Hindi Day by the University of Kelaniya, the only University in Sri Lanka having a full fledged Deparrment of Hindi Studies with approximately 350 students enrolled for learning Hindi.

The Festival was also organised to recognise the important role played by the Hindi films in promotion the Hindi language and the huge popularity of Hindi films in Sri Lanka.

Vice Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya Prof. Sarath Amunugama, Dean, Faculty of Humanities Prof. Lakshman Senevirathne, and Head, Department of Hindi Studies Prof. Upul Ranjith Hewawitanagamage were also present. Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Amunugama stressed the influence of cinema in creating a cultural awareness and highlighted the close relationship between our two countries built the shared cultural and civilisational heritage.

The High Commissioner highlighted that this was his first visit to the University of Kelnaiya and commended the close cooperation between the Department of Hindi Studies and the Indian Cultural Centre.

The High Commissioner said that going by the number of speakers, Hindi was the second most widely spoken language in the world and was becoming a global language.

The High Commissioner said that the students learning Hindi would benefit from the increasing trade and economic, cooperation between our two countries, increasing connectivity and people to people contacts.

More than 20 percent of all tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka are from India and the number increased by almost 38 percent in 2011 compared to 2010.

The High Commissioner said that bilateral trade is expected to cross USD 5 billion in 2011 and India was among the top two investors in Sri Lanka in 2011.