NEW DELHI: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu emphasized on Monday that students educated in their mother tongue are excelling globally. He challenged the notion that knowledge is acquired solely through English, asserting that language is merely a tool for communication.
Speaking in the Assembly at Amravati, Naidu stated, “Knowledge does not come from language. Only those who study in their mother tongue are excelling worldwide. Learning in one’s native language is easier.”
He further clarified that language should not be a source of division. “In Andhra Pradesh, Telugu is the mother tongue, Hindi is the national language, and English is an international language,” he said, adding that while people should preserve their mother tongue, learning multiple languages enhances career prospects. He specifically noted that learning Hindi aids communication in Delhi, while mastering languages like Japanese or German can benefit those working abroad.
Naidu’s remarks follow recent comments by Andhra Pradesh Deputy CM and Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan, who supported the three-language policy under the National Education Policy (NEP). Amid an ongoing debate between the Union government and Tamil Nadu over language policy, Kalyan stated on March 15 that concerns about Hindi imposition were misleading.
“Forcibly imposing or blindly opposing a language does not serve the goal of national and cultural integration,” Kalyan said. “I have never opposed Hindi as a language, only its compulsory enforcement. NEP 2020 does not mandate Hindi, so claims of its imposition are misleading.”
The NEP Language Debate
The controversy surrounding the NEP stems from its three-language formula, which Tamil Nadu fears could lead to the imposition of Hindi, potentially undermining its linguistic identity and autonomy. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has voiced concerns that the policy prioritizes Hindi over regional languages.
The central government, however, argues that NEP encourages multilingualism and grants states the flexibility to choose their languages. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has denied allegations of Hindi imposition, asserting that the policy is designed to enhance students’ employment opportunities.
Tensions escalated when the Centre withheld ₹2,152 crore allocated for Tamil Nadu’s Samagra Shiksha scheme, citing the state’s refusal to implement the NEP. Tamil Nadu has long resisted the three-language formula, viewing it as a step toward enforcing Hindi, while the central government insists that the policy aims to equip students with better career prospects across different regions.
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