Ravichandran Ashwin, who recently retired from the Indian cricket team, sparked a fresh language row after he said, ‘Hindi is not our national language but an official language’
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Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has ignited a fresh debate on the status of Hindi in India, stating that it is “not a national language, but an official language.” The remark, made during a speech at a graduation ceremony in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, has drawn mixed reactions on social media.
What did R Ashwin say?
Addressing the audience at a private engineering college, Ashwin engaged with students in English, Tamil, and Hindi. When met with a tepid response to Hindi, he said, “English students in the house, give me a yay. Tamil (students cheer loudly)… okay… Hindi (very little noise from the crowd)… I wanted to say Hindi is an official language and not the national language.”
#Watch | தமிழுக்கு அதிர்ந்த அரங்கம்.. இந்திக்கு SILENT.. “இந்தி தேசிய மொழி இல்ல”.. பதிவு செய்த அஸ்வின்!
சென்னையில் உள்ள தனியார் பொறியியல் கல்லூரியில் நடைபெற்ற பட்டமளிப்பு விழாவில் மாஸ் காட்டிய கிரிக்கெட் வீரர் அஸ்வின்#SunNews | #Chennai | #Ashwin | @ashwinravi99 pic.twitter.com/TeWPzWAExQ
— Sun News (@sunnewstamil) January 9, 2025
Language debate in India
Ashwin’s statement has reignited discussions about the status of Hindi, a contentious issue in India’s multilingual society. The Indian Constitution designates Hindi as an official language, but not a national language. Hindi Diwas, celebrated on September 14, marks the Constituent Assembly’s decision to adopt Hindi as an official language of the Union government.
According to a report in News18, as per the Census 2011, 43.63 per cent of Indians consider Hindi their mother tongue. However, resistance to its perceived imposition remains strong, particularly in non-Hindi-speaking states like Tamil Nadu.
Political backdrop
The Opposition has often accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of attempting to impose Hindi on non-Hindi-speaking regions. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has been vocal on the issue, condemning the celebration of Hindi Month in his state.
In 2019, Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s comments on “one nation, one language” sparked nationwide protests. Shah later clarified his stance, stating, “Mother tongue does not mean Hindi… But there should be one language in the country, and if someone wants to learn another language, it should be Hindi.”
A similar controversy arose last month during Diljit Dosanjh’s concert in Bengaluru, when a woman’s account on X detailed how the event escalated into a “Kannada language row.” Tanisha Sabherwal claimed she was pushed and verbally abused by another attendee after politely asking her to move aside.
With inputs from agencies.