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On Ajay Devgn, Sudeep's 'Hindi national language' row, Sonu Nigam said this...
Hindi language row: It all started with Bollywood star Ajay Devgn's response to Kannada actor Kiccha Sudeep's comment
Singer Sonu Nigam this week waded into the simmering row over 'Hindi as a national language' - triggered by the now infamous tweet exchange between Bollywood star Ajay Devgn and Kannada actor Kiccha Sudeep - and said 'as per my knowledge, Hindi is not written as a national language in the Constitution...' Sonu Nigam also asked '... are we aware Tamil is the world's oldest language' and 'why would they (Tamilians, speak in Hindi)'.
"From what I know Hindi is not listed as a national language in the Constitution of India... Hindi is the most spoken language... I understand that. Having said that are we aware that Tamil is world's oldest language? It is a debate between Sanskrit and Tamil. People say Tamil is the oldest language in the entire world..." he said at a private event.
A Padma Shri awardee, Sonu Nigam also criticised attempts at dividing India and Indians in terms of languages spoken.
"Do we have no problems in this country that we are looking for more? Look at our neighbours... and we are creating divisions in India by saying 'you are Tamilian... you speak Hindi. Why? Why would they speak Hindi?" he asked.
"Let people speak the language they want to... why are we after everybody saying 'you have to speak this language or that language? Let it go..."
The popular singer - who has sung in multiple languages - also pointed out the country's courts delivered their judgements in English and said people should be allowed to speak in languages in which they are comfortable.
Sonu Nigam's comments about the row over a 'national language' was in response to a question by Sushant Mehta, founder and CEO of BEAST Studios.
The video of the interaction was posted online by Mehta.
On Ajay Devgn-Sudeep's 'Hindi is national language' row, Kannada leaders unite
Controversy erupted last month after Sudeep's response to a question about 'K.G.F: Chapter 2' - a Kannada film - as a 'pan-India film'. He said Hindi was not a national language and asked Bollywood to make films for the country.
To this Devgn responded (in Hindi): '.. according to you if Hindi is not our national language, then why do you dub your mother tongue movies in Hindi... Hindi was, is and always will be our mother tongue and national language'.
Ajay Devgn says 'Hindi is our national language', Twitterati trolls him
Sudeep then underlined India's cultural and linguistic diversity, and also politely wondered if the Bollywood would have understood his comment had it been in Kannada and not English. 'Don't we too belong to India sir...' he asked.
The exchange has prompted furious debate in cinematic and political circles, with Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai and opposition leaders DK Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah, and HD Kumaraswamy all in support of Sudeep.
'What Kiccha Sudeep said was correct': Karnataka CM on row with Ajay Devgn
On the other side, actor Kangana Ranaut seemed to back Devgn, although she said Sanskrit should be the national language.
