'Language Not For Hating, Learn As Many As Possible': Chandrababu Naidu Says Amid Row

Chandrababu Naidu said only those people who study in their mother tongue are excelling across the world and a misconception is prevalent that only English language can guarantee knowledge.

File photo of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.

Source : PTI

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, while speaking on the ongoing language row, said Hindi and English both have their uses and should be learnt.

While speaking in the Andhra assembly, the Andhra Chief Minister said that only those people who study in their mother tongue are excelling across the world and a misconception is prevalent that only English language can guarantee knowledge.

"Knowledge will not come with language. Only people who study in their mother tongue are excelling across the world. It is easy to learn (through the mother tongue)," he said.

"Hindi is the national language. English is international language," he added.

"I am telling this very clearly to you... language is not for hating. Here (in Andhra Pradesh) the mother tongue is Telugu. Hindi is the national language and international language is English," the CM said.

The Andhra CM taking a conciliatory note on the language row said that a language is only for communication and people learn multiple languages for livelihood.

"For livelihood, we will learn any number of languages. We won't forget mother tongue. Language is only for communication. It is best to learn maximum languages, let us remember," he added. 

"Some people seem to think English is equivalent to knowledge. Language is only for communication. It does not bring knowledge. Knowledge is learnt best when studied in mother tongue... mother tongue is easiest to learn. That is the experience anywhere in the world," he said.

Naidu underscored that it is important to learn as many languages as possible for livelihood without forgetting the mother tongue, adding that learning the 'national language' will enable fluent conversation in Delhi in Hindi.

The remarks from the Andhra CM come amid the ongoing language row, with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin accusing the centre of 'Hindi imposition' in the new National Education Policy.

Meanwhile, Andhra Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan on Saturday said neither forcibly imposing a language nor blindly opposing one helps achieve national and cultural integration.  

 

"The actor-politician asserted that he had never opposed Hindi as a language but only opposed making it compulsory. Either imposing a language forcibly or opposing it blindly; both don’t help achieve the objective of national and cultural integration in our Bharat (sic)," said Janasena chief in a post on 'X'.