Amid the ongoing political slugfest over three-language policy between the Centre and Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has taken a different path, advocating for multilingual education, including Hindi. "Language is only a means of communication. All of you are aware that Telugu, Kannada, Tamil and other languages are shining globally. Knowledge is different, language is different," Naidu said.
Unlike Tamil Nadu’s ruling party DMK, which has rejected the three-language policy, Naidu said that he sees value in languages and asserted in promoting multiple languages. Backing the Centre, he said that it is “better to learn Hindi” as it would help people to mingle with each other easily.
"I'm going to promote 10 languages, including international languages, in every university. Students can study, go and work there. They need your services. Not only three languages, I will promote multi-languages. We had to promote Telugu. We should also promote English as it is an international language for livelihood. It is better to learn Hindi so that we can mingle with people easily," the Andhra CM said.
Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin stands hard against "Hindi imposition"
Naidu’s remarks come as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin underlined his commitment to state autonomy, two-language policy and opposition to “Hindi imposition”, lashing at the Centre’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Stalin had earlier said that the state will not allow the forcing of the language on it and vowed to protect Tamil and its culture. "Will oppose Hindi imposition. Hindi is the mask, Sanskrit is the hidden face," he said in a letter to party workers.
The ruling DMK has been alleging Hindi imposition by the Centre through the 3-language formula as part of the National Education Policy (NEP), a charge denied by the union government.
The issue has since become a bone of contention between the two, prompting Stalin to declare the state was even ready for "another language war," like the anti-Hindi agitation the DMK spearheaded in 1965.