Amid an ongoing language row, Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu has said that Hindi is the binding language and that there is no problem in learning it.
Calling Hindi a connecting language in Arunachal, where each tribe speaks its own dialect and language, Khandu said there is no problem in learning the language.
"Hindi has been in the school curriculum ever since education came to his state, and there is no problem in learning it," Khandu told news agency PTI.
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"If I speak in my own dialect, my own language, people from another tribe will not understand. That's why everyone speaks Hindi. There will certainly be grammatical mistakes, but even if you go to a village, all the villagers will understand and speak Hindi. We speak Hindi in election campaigns and even in the Assembly," CM Khandu added.
With 26 major tribes and over 100 sub-tribes, the state speaks in many tongues. But when it comes to daily interaction—from casual village chats to formal debates in the legislative Assembly—Hindi takes centre stage, he further added.
{{/usCountry}}With 26 major tribes and over 100 sub-tribes, the state speaks in many tongues. But when it comes to daily interaction—from casual village chats to formal debates in the legislative Assembly—Hindi takes centre stage, he further added.
{{/usCountry}}The chief minister also emphasised the state's strategic importance, where security forces and organisations like the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) operate. Most personnel speak Hindi, which further contributes to its widespread use across Arunachal.
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"There is also the Border Roads Organisation. So there are various other mediums through which we picked up Hindi quickly," he said.
CM Khandu's remarks come at a time when some southern states and Maharashtra have seen pushback against the Hindi language.
Arunachal Pradesh CM on Dalai Lama's successor
Meanwhile, Arunachal CM Pema Khandu has said the next Dalai Lama will be from a free and democratic country and definitely not from China.
However, he said the process of selecting the next Dalai Lama starts only after an incumbent passes away and hoped and prayed the 14th Dalai Lama would live for another 40 years.
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"In fact, as I said, His Holiness' health is very good. And this time too -- on the occasion of his 90th birthday celebration -- His Holiness said that he will live to be around 130 years old. So we all pray and I am very hopeful that he will live to be 130," Khandu said in an interview with PTI Videos on Tuesday.