Hindi will never be our national language: Ex Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah's message for Ajay Devgn

Bengaluru: After the exchange of words between Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn and Kannada actor Kichcha Sudeep about Hindi being the national language,  former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah weighed in on the debate, saying Hindi will "never be our National Language".

"Hindi was never & will never be our National Language. It is the duty of every Indian to respect linguistic diversity of our Country. Each language has its own rich history for its people to be proud of. I am proud to be a Kannadiga!! (sic)", Siddaramaiah tweeted.

Hindi was never & will never be our National Language.

It is the duty of every Indian to respect linguistic diversity of our Country.

Each language has its own rich history for its people to be proud of.

I am proud to be a Kannadiga!! https://t.co/SmT2gsfkgO — Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) April 27, 2022

At a film launch event last week, when he was asked how he viewed the record-breaking pan-India success of the Kannada film "KGF: Chapter 2", Sudeep had said, "Hindi is no more our national language." KGF's Hindi version alone has minted Rs 336 crore since its April 14 release, while the film has reportedly earned Rs 850 crore worldwide, reported PTI. 

Addressing the media in Kannada, Sudeep had said, "Hindi (filmmakers) should say they are making pan India movies. They have been dubbing those (Bollywood) movies into Tamil and Telugu, etc and they are struggling. They are not able to. Today, we just make films that reach everywhere."

Responding to Sudeep, Ajay Devgn, who recently starred in filmmaker SS Rajamouli's pan-India blockbuster "RRR", tagged the Karnataka-based actor on Twitter and wrote, "Hindi was, is and always will be our national language." "My brother, according to you if Hindi is not our national language then why do you release your mother tongue movies by dubbing them in Hindi?" Devgn wrote in Devanagari, the Hindi script. "Hindi was, is and always will be our mother tongue and national language. Jan Gan Man," the actor-filmmaker added in his tweet.

Sudeep's upcoming actioner "Vikrant Rona" is also billed as a pan-India film, expected to be released in Hindi apart from Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. Devgn's tweet prompted Sudeep to post a reply explaining that his statement was perhaps taken out of context.
Sudeep, who has also featured in Hindi films like "Dabangg 3", "Phoonk" and "Rann", said he didn't want to "hurt, provoke or to start any debate". "Hello @ajaydevgn sir... The context to why I said that line is entirely different to the way I guess it has reached you. Probably will emphasise on why the statement was made when I see you in person. It wasn't to hurt, provoke or to start any debate. Why would I sir. I love and respect every language of our country sir. I would want this topic to rest as I said the line in a totally different context. Much love and wishes to you always. Hoping to seeing you soon," he wrote in English.

In a follow-up tweet, Sudeep said he understood what Devgn wrote in Hindi but wondered what his fellow actor would do if his response was in Kannada. "And sir @ajaydevgn, I did understand the text you sent in Hindi. That's only because we all have respected, loved and learnt Hindi. No offense sir, but was wondering what'd the situation be if my response was typed in Kannada! (sic)" he wrote. "Don't we too belong to India sir," Sudeep asked Devgn. Devgn then thanked Sudeep for "clearing up the misunderstanding" and said he simply wanted to ensure that people respect all languages.

And sir @ajaydevgn ,,
I did understand the txt you sent in hindi. Tats only coz we all have respected,loved and learnt hindi.
No offense sir,,,but was wondering what'd the situation be if my response was typed in kannada.!!
Don't we too belong to India sir.
  — Kichcha Sudeepa (@KicchaSudeep) April 27, 2022

Earlier this month, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said that Hindi should be accepted as an alternative to English and not to local languages. Presiding over the 37th meeting of the Parliamentary Official Language Committee in Delhi, Shah had said Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided that the medium of running the government is in the official language and this would definitely increase the importance of Hindi.

Eminent composer A R Rahman, whose mother tongue is Tamil, had also weighed in on Shah's remarks, saying "Tamil is the link language." 

(With PTI inputs)