Amaravathi (Andhra Pradesh) [India], March 17 : Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Monday came out open in support of the three-language formula in the Centre's National Education Policy (NEP).
CM Naidu also pointed out that engaging in "unnecessary politics over this issue is not correct"
Speaking in the Assembly, CM Naidu highlighted the advantages of studying the mother tongue and said, "English is just a language for communication. Globally, those who studied in their mother tongue and succeeded are greater in number. Languages should not be a cause for hatred. Our mother tongue is Telugu, Hindi is our national language, and English is an international language. Our people are going to countries like Japan and Germany, and if necessary, they should learn those languages earlier so that it becomes easier for them to sustain themselves in those countries," CM Naidu said.
He also underlined the benefits of learning multiple languages when seeking employment.
"We should not forget our mother tongue while also learning other languages. If we go to Delhi, knowing Hindi will make communication easier. Learning multiple languages is beneficial for employment. Engaging in unnecessary politics over this issue is not correct," CM Naidu said.
Naidu's comments come amid Stalin again accusing the Union government of 'Hindi imposition' and refusing to implement the three-language formula laid out in the NEP.
Earlier, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan clarified his stance on the Hindi language debate, asserting that he has never opposed Hindi as a language but only objected to its compulsory imposition.
"Either imposing a language forcibly or opposing a language blindly; both don'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 said.