KATHMANDU: “The youngest among different languages spoken in India, Hindi has gained popularity in European, and Gulf countries since 1950. It thus should be developed as a means of communication, not as a tool for politics,” opined Vinay Kumar, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India, about the reach and significance of Hindi language. Kumar was one of the speakers present at Hotel Annapurna, Durbar Marg on January 10 to celebrate World Hindi Diwas. World Hindi Diwas is being celebrated across the world on January 10 since 1975. Organised by the Embassy of India, it was first observed in Nepal in 2012. And this year’s celebration saw the presence of eminent scholars of Nepal and India including former Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand, and Dr Sweta Dipti, Chief, Tribhuvan University Central Department of Hindi. Participants talked about the link of Hindi language in Nepal, Hindi literature, and Nepali authors who write in Hindi emphasising on the need to promote and preserve Hindi language. Pointing out that Nepali and Hindi are both languages, Chand focused on the need to develop an attitude of looking at these languages from a similar level. He warned, “It is a dangerous sign of breaking mutual understanding and cooperation between communities if we use different languages against one another.” Meanwhile, Dr Mohan Chandra, Attache (Hindi Information and Culture) at Indian Embassy in Kathmandu gave a power point presentation on ‘Information Technology and Hindi’. Around 15 Nepali and Indian poets recited their poems at the event.