Language use is a highly sensitive topic in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. There has been an ongoing debate over the use of Hindi in the state, which is also a political issue. No. Ministers in Tamil Nadu refused to accept Hindi as their language and insisted on using Tamil in the state.
Former Indian deputy Ravichandran Ashwin recently sparked a controversial debate over the use of languages in the state. Ashwin termed Hindi as the official language and not the national language.
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Ravichandran Ashwin sparks controversial debate on language
Ravichandran Ashwin speaks at the convocation ceremony of a private engineering college in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. During the ceremony, he asked if he had. Students who can understand English. Additionally, he asked students who spoke Tamil or Hindi.
While he got loud applause in English, he got even louder applause in Tamil, understandably because he was in Tamil Nadu. However, the cheers subsided considerably when Ashwin asked for Hindi.
“English students at home…give me a chance. Tamil? (crowd cheers loudly). Well…Hindi (little cheers)” Ashwin said at the ceremony.
Realizing that there was little cheering for Hindi in the crowd, Ashwin said: “I guess I should say this. Hindi is not our national language; it is the official language.”
#watch |Tamil Vibrant Stage. Hindi silence. “Hindi is not a national language”..Recorded by Ashwin!
Cricketer Ashwin delivers Mass at convocation ceremony at a private engineering college in Chennai#sunnews | #chennai | #ashwin | @ashwinravi99 pic.twitter.com/TeWPzWAExQ
— Sun News (@sunnewstamil) January 9, 2025
Is Hindi the national language of India?
Ashwin once again received loud cheers from the crowd after he refused to call Hindi the national language. However, the comments sparked controversy on social media
It is worth noting that the Indian constitution recognizes Hindi as the “official language” but not the national language. India does not have a designated national language as there are a wide variety of languages spoken in different parts of the country.
Ravichandran Ashwin’s incredible stats in Tests
Ravichandran Ashwin recently retired from international cricket during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He officially announced his retirement after the third Test of the series at the Gabba, Brisbane.
The 38-year-old played over 100 Tests during his prolific Test career, eventually becoming one of the legends of the game. Ashwin took 537 wickets in 106 Tests at an average of 24, including 37 five-wicket hauls.
Ravichandran Ashwin became India’s second most successful bowler in Tests, after Anil Kumble. Apart from bowling, he is also a great batsman. He scored 3503 runs in his career at an average of 25.75 and hit 6 centuries.
Apart from Test cricket, Ashwin has also played well. White ball cricket. He took 156 wickets in 116 ODIs at an average of 33.20 and 72 wickets in 65 T20Is at an average of 23.22.