Mr ALISTER HENSKENS (Wahroonga) (19:43): I recently had the pleasure of attending the Indo‑Aust Bal Bharathi Vidyalaya [IABBV] Hindi School Hindi Day celebrations at Thornleigh West Public School. India's national Hindi Diwas falls on 14 September every year and acknowledges the adoption of Hindi as the official language of India in 1949. This year the Hindi school celebrated 37 years of teaching. The school is of absolute importance to my local community and beyond. It is a way for the next generation to stay connected to their culture and land of origin, and enables them to communicate with their parents, friends and families. I thank each of the volunteer teachers who dedicate so much of their time to teach Hindi. I thank in particular Mala Mehta, Wahroonga Woman of the Year in 2023 and president and honorary founder of the IABBV Hindi School, for her extraordinary efforts to make the school such a vibrant and important space for Hindi students.