Hyderabad: Pawan Kalyan, the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, raised concerns about accepting languages like English, Urdu, and Persian while having double standards towards Hindi.
On Friday, he spoke as the main guest at a national event called ‘Dakshin Samvad.’ The event, celebrating the Golden Jubilee of the Department of Official Languages, included attendees like Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh, top officials, and Hindi language experts from the southern states.
Kalyan argued that opposing Hindi blindly is not reasonable. He noted that people learn languages like German and Japanese for job prospects and English for IT opportunities. In today’s world, where language barriers in education and business are dissolving, resisting Hindi might hinder future progress.
He questioned why people fear speaking Hindi when they are comfortable with English. Pointing out that 31% of South Indian films are dubbed into Hindi and earn significant income, he remarked that people desire Hindi for business and social media fame but resist learning it politically.
Recalling Abdul Kalam, the former President of India, who valued Hindi despite being Tamil, Kalyan stressed that language should unite, not divide. He observed that while the world seeks divisions, efforts should be made to find a common language to bring people together.
Union Minister G Kishan Reddy highlighted the current golden era for Indian languages under PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s leadership. Over the past decade, the National Department has worked to promote Hindi and other Indian languages.
