Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday said that only those people who study in their mother tongue are excelling across the world and a misconception is prevalent that only English language can guarantee knowledge.
Addressing the Andhra Pradesh assembly in Amaravati, the chief minister asserted, "Language is only for communication. Knowledge will not come with language. Only people who study in their mother tongue are excelling across the world. It is easy to learn (through the mother tongue)."
Naidu's remarks come in the wake of his deputy chief minister and Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan wading into the language row between Tamil Nadu and the Union government recently.
"I am telling this very clearly to you... language is not for hating. Here (in Andhra Pradesh) the mother tongue is Telugu. Hindi is the national language and international language is English," said the CM.
Naidu underscored that it is important to learn as many languages as possible for livelihood without forgetting the mother tongue, adding that learning the 'national language' will enable fluent conversation in Delhi in Hindi.
As many people are going to other countries such as Japan and Germany, he said if those languages could also be learnt here, then it will be very easy when people visit those overseas destinations.
Hence, he appealed that there is no need to engage in 'unnecessary politics over languages' and called for learning as many languages as possible.
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