Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan urged people to overcome their apprehensions and embrace the Hindi language, calling it a unifying force across Indian states.
Speaking in Hyderabad, Kalyan questioned why some Indians felt hesitant or ashamed to learn Hindi, especially when they willingly learn foreign languages for work or travel.
“Why are you ashamed to accept the Hindi language?” he asked. “Our former president APJ Abdul Kalam was from Tamil Nadu, but he enjoyed Hindi. He used to say languages are those means that connect the heart. So come, let us see Hindi language through his vision. No one imposes and no one hates. Just understand and embrace it.”
He dismissed the idea that Hindi is being imposed, noting instead that it serves as a practical tool for communication. “Hindi is not something mandatory. It is one language that can be easily understood across all states of this country,” he said.
Drawing comparisons to global language practices, Kalyan stated, “When foreigners can learn our language, when we need to go to Germany for work we learn German, and to go visit Japan we learn Japanese, so then why are we afraid of learning our own Hindi language? Why the fear? Why the hesitation? We should leave behind the hatred. Leave behind the hesitation.”
He also addressed the political arguments around Hindi, especially in southern states where resistance to the language is often rooted in concerns of cultural imposition. “When it comes to politics, some say Hindi is being thrust upon us, imposed upon us. Tell me, how is it right? When we can accept English and learn English calling it a modern language, then why not learn Hindi? What’s wrong in it?”
Calling Hindi the “common denominator among all Indian languages,” Pawan Kalyan insisted that learning the language should not be viewed through the lens of regional pride or linguistic conflict. Instead, he urged people to treat it as an accessible and valuable means of communication that transcends state boundaries.
Kalyan said Hindi stands above politics as a cultural link that connects the nation. “Across the world, people are divided by language. But in India, Hindi stands as a unifying force – one language that connects us across states and cultures. I wholeheartedly welcome Hindi as our national language.”
He added that Hindi does not replace but complements regional languages. “Our mother tongues – Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and others – are essential to our homes, our roots, our identity. But once we step beyond our homes into the broader society, we need a common thread, and that is our Rashtra Bhasha, Hindi.”
Using a metaphor to illustrate his view, he said, “If our mother tongue is like our mother, then Hindi is like the ‘Pedda Amma’ – the elder mother – who brings all the linguistic families of India under one roof.”
“Let go of the apprehensions. Let go of the hatred towards Hindi,” he said. “Let us understand it, embrace it.”
