'Sanskrit should be the National language', says Kangana Ranaut over Language debate

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• Apr 30, 2022 | Dhupali Das

Kangana Ranaut further stated that refusing to recognise Hindi as the national language is equivalent to opposing the Constitution.

Digital Desk: Actress Kangana Ranaut said that Ajay Devgn is correct in stating that Hindi is our national language, but everyone has the right to be proud of their own language and culture. 

Kangana Ranaut further stated that refusing to recognise Hindi as the national language is equivalent to opposing the Constitution.

Kangana was reacting to Ajay Devgn's remark that "Hindi was, is, and always will be our national language," which he made in response to South star Kichcha Sudeep's statement that Hindi was no longer the national language.

Kangana Ranaut, known for her aggressive nature, tried to strike a balance when questioned about the Twitter fight between Devgn and Sudeep, which generated a significant uproar.

Interacting with the media during the trailer launch of her film "Dhaakad", Kangana stated that she feels Sanskrit should be India's national language as it is one of the oldest languages in India.

"Hindi is the national language of India. So,  Ajay Devgn Ji was correct when he stated that Hindi is India's national language. If this is the only interpretation you have of what I'm trying to communicate, you've made a mistake. If someone tells me that Kannada or Tamil is older than Hindi, then they are also not wrong." she said. 

"Sanskrit, I believe, should be our national language; languages such as Hindi, German, English, and French all have their roots in Sanskrit. Why isn't Sanskrit the official language of India? Why is it not made compulsory in schools? I dont know," the 35-year-old said to reporters in Mumbai.

India doesn't have a national language and both Hindi and Kannada are among the 22 languages included in the Constitution's eighth schedule. The official languages are Hindi and English.  

Kangana said that denying Hindi as the national language was denying the central government and the Constitution.

"You deny the Constitution if you deny Hindi (as the national language). You don't consider Delhi to be the centre; everything that is done in the Constitution, everything that is passed, is done in Delhi, and it is done in Hindi, "she said.

"Today, we use English to communicate throughout the country.  Should it be the link, or should it be in Hindi, Sanskrit, or Tamil? That is a decision we must make. Keeping all this in mind, a firm decision should be made. According to the Constitution, Hindi is the national language at the moment," she stated.

Kangana Ranaut stated that there is no clear answer to the language dispute because India is a diverse country with many languages and customs.

"Everyone has the right to be proud of their language and culture, just as I am proud of my Pahari heritage. But, to bring our country together, we need a common thread," she added. 

"If we wish to uphold our Constitution, we must acknowledge that Hindi has been designated as our national language. We already know that Tamil is older than Hindi, but Sanskrit is considerably older," she said

Meanwhile, the BJP's Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai and NC's Omar Abdullah, Congress' Siddaramaiah, and JD-S' H D Kumaraswamy defended India's linguistic diversity in response to Ajay Devgn's comment.