National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad has urged the government to make formal Hindi and i‑Taukei (Vosa Vakaviti) compulsory subjects in primary schools up to Year 8, sharply rejecting calls to elevate Fiji Hindi as a substitute. Prasad said the change is needed to preserve linguistic standards and cultural heritage, and vowed the NFP will resist any attempt to weaken formal Hindi’s standing as one of Fiji’s official languages.
Speaking as submissions on school language policy are being handled by the Education Commission, Prasad said formal Hindi and i‑Taukei should form the foundation of vernacular education in primary schools, with pupils offered the choice of one of the two languages. He told media there is “growing interest” among i‑Taukei students in learning formal Hindi, while Indo‑Fijians and other ethnic groups are also keen to learn languages outside their mother tongue, including i‑Taukei.
Prasad levelled strong criticism at Opposition MP Faiyaz Koya for his support of Fiji Hindi, calling the suggestion that Fiji Hindi replace formal Hindi “insulting” and saying it risks degrading Indo‑Fijian linguistic and cultural heritage. “Hindi scriptures are written in formal Hindi, not Fiji Hindi,” Prasad said, describing the Constitution’s reference to “conversational and contemporary Hindi” being compulsory in schools as “totally unacceptable.” He acknowledged Fiji Hindi’s everyday role as a lingua franca but insisted it should not be treated as a standalone vernacular for formal education.
Beyond the two principal languages, Prasad pressed for greater support for institutions run by cultural and religious organisations to broaden language teaching across communities. He named TISI Sangam, the Fiji Muslim League and Chinese and Gujarati community groups as examples that should be supported to offer instruction in Tamil, Urdu, Mandarin, Gujarati and other languages. He argued such a multilingual approach would deepen cross‑cultural understanding and strengthen national unity in Fiji’s multi‑ethnic society.
The call comes against the backdrop of recent parliamentary changes that Prasad said further legitimise the use of Fiji’s indigenous and heritage languages in public life. Amendments to the Standing Orders now allow Members of Parliament to debate in either formal Hindi or i‑Taukei, and Prasad noted that even some Opposition MPs have begun using formal Hindi in proceedings. He presented the move as complementary to his push for formal language instruction in schools, saying parliamentary use underscores the languages’ official standing and public relevance.
Prasad’s intervention adds momentum to an already active debate over language policy in education. If taken up, his proposals would require curriculum planning, teacher training and resourcing to roll out formal Hindi and i‑Taukei across primary classrooms. The Education Commission is expected to weigh submissions from multiple stakeholders, and Prasad’s firm stance signals that language policy will remain a contested issue in the months ahead.
Reiterating the NFP’s position, Prasad warned political actors against any attempts to downgrade formal Hindi’s official status, framing the issue as central not only to education but to the preservation of cultural and religious traditions among Fiji’s Indo‑Fijian community.
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