‘Never opposed Hindi, only against making it compulsory’: Pawan Kalyan defends stance amid NEP row

Pawan Kalyan. (Photo/Agencies)

NEW DELHI: Amid the continued debate between the Union authorities and Tamil Nadu over language coverage, Andhra Pradesh deputy chief minister and Janasena Party chief Pawan Kalyan stated on Saturday that claims of Hindi being imposed are deceptive.
“Either imposing a language forcibly or opposing a language blindly; both doesn’t help to achieve the objective of National & Cultural integration of our Bharat. I had never opposed Hindi as a language. I only opposed making it compulsory. When the NEP 2020 itself does not enforce Hindi, spreading false narratives about its imposition is nothing but an attempt to mislead the public,” Kalyan stated.
He identified that underneath the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, college students can select to check any two Indian languages together with a international language. “If they do not wish to study Hindi, they can and also opt for Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Sanskrit, Gujarati, Assamese, Kashmiri, Odia, Bengali, Punjabi, Sindhi, Bodo, Dogri, Konkani, Maithili, Meitei, Nepali, Santali, Urdu, or any other Indian language,” he stated.

Kalyan’s assertion is available in response to Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin, who has accused the Union authorities of imposing Hindi and has refused to implement the three-language components underneath NEP.
Earlier, on Friday additionally Kalyan had criticized Tamil Nadu leaders, questioning why they permit Tamil movies to be dubbed in Hindi for monetary achieve whereas opposing the language. Speaking at his social gathering’s basis day occasion in Kakinada district, he stated, “In Tamil Nadu, people oppose the imposition of Hindi. This makes me wonder if they don’t want Hindi, then why do they dub Tamil films in Hindi for financial gains? They want money from Bollywood but refuse to accept Hindi. What kind of logic is that?”
He additionally highlighted the significance of a number of languages for nationwide unity. “India needs multiple languages, including Tamil, not just two. We must embrace linguistic diversity—not only to maintain the integrity of our nation but also to foster love and unity among its people,” he added.
DMK’s response
DMK chief TKS Elangovan responded to Kalyan’s assertion by saying that Tamil Nadu has all the time adopted a two-language coverage, with Tamil and English being taught in faculties. “We have been opposing Hindi since 1938. We passed legislation in the state assembly that Tamil Nadu will always follow the two-language formula because of the advice and suggestions of the experts in education, not actors. The bill was passed way back in 1968 when Pawan Kalyan was not even born. He doesn’t know the politics of Tamil Nadu,” Elangovan stated.

Actor Prakash Raj additionally commented, saying, “Saying ‘don’t impose your Hindi on us’ is not the same as hating another language. It is about protecting our mother tongue and our cultural identity with pride.”
Tamil Nadu chief minister Stalin, talking at a rally in Thiruvallur on March 12, criticized the NEP, saying it was not geared toward schooling however at selling Hindi. “National Education Policy is not education policy; it is saffron policy. The policy is not created to develop India but to develop Hindi. We are opposing the policy as it would destroy the Tamil Nadu education system completely,” Stalin had stated.

What’s the problem?

The debate over the National Education Policy (NEP) facilities round its three-language components, which Tamil Nadu fears may result in the imposition of Hindi within the state. Chief Minister MK Stalin has argued that the coverage prioritizes Hindi over regional languages, affecting the state’s linguistic variety and autonomy.
The central authorities, nonetheless, maintains that the NEP promotes multilingualism and gives flexibility in language schooling. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has denied claims of Hindi imposition, stating that states have the liberty to decide on their most well-liked languages underneath the coverage.
The dispute intensified after the Centre withheld Rs 2,152 crore allotted for Tamil Nadu’s Samagra Shiksha scheme, citing the state’s refusal to implement the NEP.
Tamil Nadu has traditionally opposed the three-language components, viewing it as a step towards implementing Hindi, whereas the central authorities argues that the coverage helps college students entry employment alternatives throughout totally different areas.