'Hindi is not our national language': Ravi Ashwin sparks row at Chennai college event (WATCH)
By Hrishikesh Damodar | First Published Jan 10, 2025, 1:17 PM ISTThe debate on whether Hindi should be recognized as a national language has resurfaced multiple times in India, often triggering discussions on cultural diversity and regional identity.
Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has sparked a controversy around the debate whether Hindi is the national language or not.
The debate on whether Hindi should be recognized as a national language has resurfaced multiple times in India, often triggering discussions on cultural diversity and regional identity. It has remained a contentious issue over the last 10 years, with many states in South India resisting the imposition of Hindi language, citing the need of preserving their regional identity.
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The debate over Hindi language has reignited after Ravichandran Ashwin sparked a row at a college event in his hometown in Chennai. The legendary all-rounder was invited to Rajalakshmi College of Engineering as a chief guest for the convocation ceremony. As soon as he took the stage and before proceeding with his speech, Ashwin wanted to know the number of students who can understand English, Tamil and Hindi.
In a video that went viral on social media, Ravichandran Ashwin can be seen asking the students to make noise for English, Tamil or Hindi. The students cheered loudly for Tamil, while Hindi got a little response. Therefore, he concluded by saying, “ Hindi is an official language and not the national language.”
Watch the video here:
Hindi is not our National Language
~ Ravichandran Ashwin Anna 🔥😅 pic.twitter.com/SLrgZrNtCv
Majority of the Hindi speaking states consider the language as a national language despite the fact that the Constitution of India has termed Hindi as an official language of the country. September 14 of every year is observed as ‘Hindi Diwas’ in order to celebrate the Constituent Assembly of India.
Talking about Ashwin, the legendary cricketer shocked the fans with his sudden retirement from international cricket in the middle of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The 38-year-old bid adieu to his illustrious career after the third Test of the five-match series against Australia ended in a draw at The Gabba.
The Chennai-born cricketer retired from international cricket as the second-highest wicket-taker for India in Tests with 537 wickets and also scored 3503, including six centuries. Additionally, Ashwin is the second-leading wicket-taker for India across all formats, taking 765 wickets, including 156 and 72 in ODIs and T20Is, respectively.
Ravichandran Ashwin will play franchise T20 leagues. He was picked by Chennai Super Kings for a whopping 9.75 crore at the IPL 2025 Auction in November last year. Also, The veteran bowling all-rounder was retained by Dindigul Dragons ahead of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) 2025, which is likely to take place in July.
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