Hyderabad, July 11 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Friday said that Hindi should not be opposed blindly as this amounts to impeding development.

He said that at a time when the world is marching ahead for educational, employment and business opportunities without a language barrier, blindly opposing Hindi would amount to hampering the progress of coming generations.

The Jana Sena Party leader was speaking at the golden jubilee celebrations of the Department of Official Language in Hyderabad.

Stating that he welcomes the national language, Hindi, Pawan Kalyan said it united the country.

He also remarked that when languages like English, Urdu and Persian are accepted, it’s irrational to say that Hindi is being imposed. He lamented that Hindi is being opposed for the sake of politics.

“Mother tongue is for speaking at home, but when we go out, our national language is Hindi,” he said.

He also stated that learning Hindi does not mean losing identity but strengthening it. “Learning another language does not mean our defeat. It means moving together. It’s not submission. It’s addition.”

The actor-politician also noted that South Indian films were earning revenues with dubbing in Hindi. “When we need Hindi for business and popularity, what is the problem in learning it?” he asked.

Pawan Kalyan, who termed Hindi as ‘grandmother tongue’, mentioned that the country has Dravidian languages, be it Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam and many other languages, but Hindi as the national language is the country’s pride.

Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy stated that protests against Hindi in some states are political. “Before elections, such small issues are used to provoke people for political gain,” he said.

He said that though his mother tongue is Telugu, he learnt Hindi after entering politics.

The Union Minister said the Department of Official Language during the last decade took several steps to promote Hindi and other regional languages, or the introduction of the New Education Policy 2020, supporting education in the mother tongue.

“Our languages are our cultural treasure, a symbol of identity, and the strength of our democracy sustains our rich linguistic heritage. The only way forward is to use them widely. I urge everyone to actively use our Rashtra Bhasha and Matru Bhasha with pride,” he said.

Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha Harivansh also addressed the event.

–IANS

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