Ravichandran Ashwin, the renowned Indian cricketer who retired in December 2024, sparked a fresh debate on the language issue in India while addressing a graduation ceremony at a private engineering college in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Ashwin made a significant remark regarding the status of Hindi, stating, “Hindi is not the national language but an official one.”
The statement was made during an interaction with the audience where Ashwin asked attendees how many of them understood English, Tamil, and Hindi. As he mentioned Tamil, a loud cheer erupted from the crowd. However, when Ashwin mentioned Hindi, the response was lukewarm, prompting him to clarify his stance. “I thought I should say this: Hindi is an official language and not the national language,” he added.
This remark once again brought the long-standing language debate in India to the forefront. While the Indian Constitution designates Hindi as one of the official languages, Tamil Nadu has always had a complex relationship with Hindi, with many in the state preferring to promote their mother tongue, Tamil.
In addition to his language statement, Ashwin also spoke about his career choices, including his decision never to pursue the captaincy, despite calls from fans and experts. “When someone says I can’t do it, I wake up to accomplish it, but if they say I can, I lose interest,” he shared.
Following his retirement from international cricket, Ashwin announced his plans to continue playing at the club level, representing Tamil Nadu and the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. He ended his international career as India’s second-highest wicket-taker across all formats, just behind Anil Kumble.
Though Ashwin will no longer play for India, his contributions to Indian cricket will remain significant as he continues his career with Tamil Nadu and in the IPL.
