'Hindi not our national language but official language': Ravichandran Ashwin's remarks stirs fresh debate
PTC Web Desk: Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin, recently retired from international cricket, has stirred a fresh debate by asserting that Hindi is "not our national language but an official language." Speaking at the graduation ceremony of a private engineering college in Tamil Nadu, Ashwin’s remarks resonated strongly in a state historically vocal against the imposition of Hindi.
During his address, Ashwin interacted with students, inviting them to ask questions in the language they were comfortable with—English, Tamil, or Hindi. While English and Tamil received enthusiastic responses, the mention of Hindi was met with silence. Addressing the reaction, Ravichandran Ashwin remarked in Tamil, "Hindi is not our national language; it is an official language."
This comment comes amidst ongoing concerns from opposition parties, including Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK, over alleged attempts by the central government to impose Hindi in non-Hindi-speaking states.
Apart from the linguistic debate, Ashwin touched upon his own journey in cricket and shared motivational insights with the students. Reflecting on leadership, he said, "When someone says I can't do it, I wake up to accomplish it, but if they say I can, I lose interest."
The engineering graduate-turned-cricketer encouraged the audience to embrace persistence and overcome challenges. "Had any engineering staff told me I couldn't become a captain, I would have worked harder," he said, inspiring students to rise above doubts and remain focused on their goals.
Ashwin highlighted the importance of continuous learning, stating, "If you are a student, you will never stop. If you aren’t, learning will cease, and excellence will just be a word in your cupboard."
- With inputs from agencies
