Talk:Fiji

Fiji Hindi

Claiming that the official language of Fiji is Fijian Hindi when the constitution of Fiji states that it is Hindi constitutes "original research".

The actual constitution of Fiji states that the language is Hindi. All documents put out by the government of Fiji are in standard Hindi.

Note 4 in the article says, "in the 2013 Constitution of Fiji, it is simply called "Hindi", still implying Fiji Hindi, rather than the standard Hindi of India."

Can someone please provide some evidence about why this implies Fiji Hindi?

I recognize that there are variations of Hindi spoken around the world, but all the documents made by the government of Fiji (the Constitution, information about public health, literary awards) are published in standard Hindi in the Devanagari alphabet. Surely this reality should be acknowledged in Wikipedia? I have in the past linked to Fijian government documents and videos to show that they are in standard Hindi but they seem to have been removed.

Can someone please explain why Wikipedia insists on Fiji's government recognizing Fiji Hindi, when the government and its constitution use standard Hindi and explicitly use the word "Hindi"?

Ahassan05 (talk)ahassan05 Ahassan05 (talk) 16:50, 4 February 2024 (UTC)

A constitution should be interpreted within the context that it was written under.

Any mention of 'Indian' in an official capacity in the US or Canada would more often than not refer to their indigenous groups albeit those might be more likely from a century ago. Similarly, one might reasonably expect that any mention of 'Hindi' in a South Asian context would mean Standard Hindi and not Fiji Hindi.

Also, section 31(3) of the 2013 Constitution states:

"Conversational and contemporary iTaukei and Fiji Hindi languages shall be taught as compulsory subjects in all primary schools."

So it's only reasonable to assume that any mention of Hindi in the constitution is referring to Fiji Hindi.

Regarding the government's use of Standard Hindi and Devanagari, you have to understand that Fiji Hindi is not standardised (yet) so I can only hazard a guess that for official correspondences they are required to use Standard Hindi. Fjii (talk) 23:50, 1 April 2024 (UTC)

The reliable source for a country's official languages is the literal wording of that country's constitution (or whichever of the country's laws explicitly specify "these are our country's official languages").

You do not have the privilege or the right to use Wikipedia to spread your own interpretation of what a country's constitution and laws say - not even if you live there, not even if you are the head of its government.

If a country's official languages do not properly match what they are actually using, it is not your business to revise their constitution for them. TooManyFingers (talk) 15:37, 26 May 2024 (UTC)

It isn't even necessary to prove that Fijian government documents are in standard Hindi. Official languages are a separate matter from what may be in daily use. The official languages are whatever the directly relevant laws say they are, in exactly the words and format of those laws, and no one is qualified to argue with that.

You two have been arguing about what languages are currently used in Fiji. That may be a worthwhile argument to have, if it is done in a better context. But it has nothing to do with official languages.

(However, I would point out that the law only says "Hindi"; it does not specify "Standard Hindi". In language study, when the word "Hindi" is used alone, it may be correct to assume that it means the standard version of the language. But in law, the same assumption might not be valid.) TooManyFingers (talk) 16:17, 26 May 2024 (UTC)

"Blackbirding and slavery" question

This subsection of the article claims:

"Thousands of European planters flocked to Fiji to establish plantations, but found the natives unwilling to adapt to their plans."

They were "unwilling to adapt"? Seriously? Shouldn't this say something like "unwilling to be slaves, but too numerous, too well established, and too well armed to be taken by force"?

Planters could easily themselves have "adapted", by advertising that they were hiring a large number of workers and waiting for the crowds of eager applicants. There is a reason they did not do that. TooManyFingers (talk) 15:21, 26 May 2024 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 30 July 2024

I will add more info about fiji like landscape and places to go too Aravtheexplore (talk) 00:18, 30 July 2024 (UTC)

File:Red question icon with gradient background.svg Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. Cannolis (talk) 02:06, 30 July 2024 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 4 August 2024

Reason: (minor change) 301 redirect/archived URL to current URL. Change this reference: Change to: Slickshark (talk) 15:31, 4 August 2024 (UTC)

File:Red question icon with gradient background.svg Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. The link you reference is working for me, apologies if I'm confused as to what you're asking for. Bestagon ⬡ 20:03, 8 August 2024 (UTC)

Stop putting fiji hindi, its standard hindi

1. Constitutional Recognition Fiji’s supreme law explicitly names Hindustani—understood as standard Hindi—alongside English and Fijian as the country’s three official languages. Translations of the Constitution are made available in iTaukei and Hindi (Devanagari script), and citizens may conduct legal and parliamentary business in any of these three languages, with the English text prevailing only where there is doubt. There is no mention of the colloquial Fiji Hindi dialect in the constitutional text.

2. Government Publication & Usage The Fijian Government routinely publishes core documents (including the Constitution itself) and public health updates in standard Hindi (Devanagari). The official government portal provides the Constitution in a Hindi translation for legal reference—demonstrating that the state engages with the formal register of Hindi in all its institutions.

3. Education & Curriculum Policy Formal education in Fiji treats standard Hindi as the formal medium for teacher training and secondary instruction. Fiji National University’s Bachelor of Education (Secondary) program, for example, requires entrants to demonstrate proficiency in English and Hindi (Devanagari)—underscoring that the “Hindi” of instruction is the standardized form taught internationally, not the localized dialect.

4. Linguistic Scholarship & Distinction Academic research makes clear that the Constitution’s term “Hindustani” refers to the formal Hindi-Urdu register originating from the Indian subcontinent. Fiji Hindi is a distinct koiné dialect that developed locally among indentured labourers; it enjoys widespread everyday use but lacks any constitutional or legal standing.

5. Equal Citizen Rights Under Chapter 1, Section 3(3–4) of the Constitution, citizens have the right to use iTaukei, English, or Hindi (Hindustani) in all government and judicial proceedings. This provision places standard Hindi on an equal footing with Fiji’s other official languages—affirming its formal status in the state apparatus.

Sources - Constitution of the Republic of Fiji (English) https://www.laws.gov.fj/ResourceFile/Get/?fileName=2013+Constitution+of+Fiji+%28English%29.pdf

Constitution of the Republic of Fiji Islands (Hindi Translation, Devanagari) https://www.paclii.org/fj/constitutional-docs-archives/Constitution%20of%20the%20Republic%20of%20Fiji%20Islands%20%28Hindi%29.pdf

Fiji National University: Bachelor of Education (Secondary) – English & Hindi https://programmes.fnu.ac.fj/programmes/Files/2019122313210Bachelor%20of%20Education%20%28Secondary%29%20%28English%20_and_%20Hindi%29%20.pdf

Kumar, R. (2018). Fiji Hindi in Fiji. Academia.edu https://www.academia.edu/36804807/Fiji_Hindi_in_Fiji

Shameem, N. (2017). “Fiji Hindi: A Heritage Language of Fiji Indians.” USP Repository https://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/13951/1/16-FijiHindiAheritagelanguage%20copy.pdf

PacLII: Fiji Constitutional Documents Archive https://www.paclii.org/fj/constitutional-docs-archives/main.html — Preceding unsigned comment added by Theoneandonlylinguist09 (talk • contribs) 11:39, 15 June 2025 (UTC)

Also ths proves that standard hindi is used in education - https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1328357.pdf ". Fiji Hindi is most often the first language of the Indo-Fijians. However, Standard Hindi is formally recognised as the standard language" "Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and Shree Sanatan Dharam Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji provided a unified approach to convince the Minister for Education to remove Fiji Hindi from the Hindi national examination papers." THIS PROVES FIJI HINDI IS NOT FIJIS OFFICIAL LANGUAGE

AGAIN HERE - https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1328357 Results showed that Fiji Hindi is preferred in social settings … and Standard Hindi is preferred in formal settings

Indo‑Fijians speak Fiji Hindi… learn Shudh Hindi (SH) or Urdu… for formal and literacy purposes https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0738059306000332 Study: Multilingual Proficiency in Fiji Primary Schools

Highlights:

“Indo‑Fijians speak Fiji Hindi as their mother tongue… learn Shudh Hindi/Urdu… SH/Urdu is the educationally acceptable mother tongue for use as the ‘vernacular’ language of instruction…” https://www.academia.edu/36609364/Curriculum_Development_Challenges_in_Advancing_Conversational_Languages_in_Fijian_Classrooms — Preceding unsigned comment added by Theoneandonlylinguist09 (talk • contribs) 11:44, 15 June 2025 (UTC)

FIJI HINDI is not the official language — Preceding unsigned comment added by Theoneandonlylinguist09 (talk • contribs) 11:43, 15 June 2025 (UTC)

Fiji hindi is wrong, its not official

THIS - https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1328357.pdf ". Fiji Hindi is most often the first language of the Indo-Fijians. However, Standard Hindi is formally recognised as the standard language" "Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and Shree Sanatan Dharam Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji provided a unified approach to convince the Minister for Education to remove Fiji Hindi from the Hindi national examination papers." THIS PROVES FIJI HINDI IS NOT FIJIS OFFICIAL LANGUAGE — Preceding unsigned comment added by Theoneandonlylinguist09 (talk • contribs) 12:05, 15 June 2025 (UTC)