"I speak 5 languages and understand 10. I wasn't forced to": Actor Siddharth takes a stand on Centre's three language draft

In the midst of a controversy over Hindi being part of a three-language formula, Tamil actor Siddharth pitched in the debate on his Twitter handle and made some points.

He wrote: "Nobody from #TamilNadu needs to learn #Hindi forcefully. They will learn it if and when the need arises, as is the case for any language other than the mother tongue. Any #Indian who wants to communicate abroad would choose to learn #English ahead of #Hindi. End of discussion."

He further added: "There is a big difference between a native #Tamil speaker learning #Hindi vs being forced to study it and write exams in it. I speak 5 languages and understand 10. I wasn't forced to learn them and that's how it should be. #India is a mixture of great languages. Leave them be."

The tweet has come at a time when the Centre was forced to revised the new Draft National Education Policy, which had recommended Hindi learning mandatory in schools of non-Hindi speaking states, and suggested a three-language formula without naming Hindi.

In the draft National Education Policy 2019, a three-language formula has recommended the inclusion of English and Hindi besides mother tongue in non-Hindi speaking states, while Hindi-speaking states were to include English and an Indian language from other parts of the country.

Many leaders from non-Hindi states, especially Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, had opposed the policy. In Tamil Nadu, leaders cutting across party lines have said the state would not tolerate any imposition of the third language.

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has said that the Centre cannot force any language. The Centre has, however, maintained that the policy was just a draft subject to changes and ensured that no language will be pressed upon.

It is important to know that the Tamil language is the official language of Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and the Andaman Islands, and was also the second official language of Haryana till 2010.

One of the oldest surviving languages still spoken by crores of people, Tamil is an accepted minority language in Canada, USA, South Africa and other countries.

(With inputs from ANI)