Shruti’s love for Hindi earns her national essay title

At just 16, Shruti Sonakshi Raj has put her school on the national stage after winning the National Hindi Essay Writing Year 9-13 Competition.

The Year 10 student of Sigatoka Valley Secondary School won first prize last Saturday, capping a decade of learning Hindi since Year 1.

The competition was organised by the Fiji Hindu Society in conjunction with the Ministry of Education.

For Shruti, the victory is more than a competition win — it is recognition of her passion for the language.

“I feel extremely happy, proud and grateful to have won first prize in the National Hindi Essay Writing Competition,” she said.

“This achievement has encouraged me to work harder and continue improving my Hindi language skills.”

It was Shruti’s first national Hindi essay competition, making the achievement even more special.

“My love for the Hindi language and my interest in essay writing motivated me to participate,” she said.

“I also wanted to challenge myself, improve my writing skills and represent my school with pride.”

Shruti dedicated her award to her Hindi teacher, Arti Mani, and her parents for their guidance and unwavering support.

Ms Mani said Shruti’s success reflected her hard work, dedication and willingness to learn.

“She has a genuine interest in Hindi, and this achievement has also inspired me as a teacher to continue encouraging students to develop their language skills,” she said.

Only four students at Sigatoka Valley Secondary School currently study Hindi.

Ms Mani believes more needs to be done to promote the language in schools.

“Language is an important part of our culture, heritage and identity,” she said.

“Our language is our identity, and protecting and promoting it is our responsibility.”