India’s oldest language, ‘Sanskrit’, should be declared as national language: Kangana Ranaut

Kangana Ranaut, the Bollywood actress, has been making headlines for her forthcoming film Dhaakad. Now, during the film’s trailer debut on Friday, the actress was asked about Ajay Devgn and Kiccha Sudeep’s controversy over Hindi being India’s national language. Kangana responded by saying that because Sanskrit is older than Hindi or Tamil, it should be our national language.

Kangana spoke on the diversity of our country and how there should be a common ground to bring the country together during the trailer premiere of Dhaakad. ‘We live in a diverse country with numerous cultures and languages. And everyone has a right to be proud of their heritage. For example, I am a pahadi. But, in order for our country to be one, there must be a common thread. We must uphold the constitution, and Hindi has been designated as the country’s official language ‘, she stated.

Kangana went on to say: ‘Sanskrit predates Tamil, but Tamil predates Sanskrit. As a result, I believe Sanskrit should be designated as the National Language. Because Sanskrit is the source of all languages, from Kannada to Tamil to Gujarati to Hindi. So I’m stumped as to why Hindi, rather than Sanskrit, was designated as the national language.’

Kangana further stated that people do not acknowledge Hindi as the official language of India. She stated, ‘However, when Khalistan declares that it does not accept the decision and does not recognize Hindi as the official language, it is defying the constitution. There was a time when Tamils wished for their own country. When you want the Bengal republic and claim that you do not consider Hindi to be a language, you are not only rejecting Hindi but also denying Delhi as the seat of government. So there are several levels to this, and you should be aware of them while discussing it. When you refuse Hindi, you are denying the Delhi government.’

Kangana said, ‘People who speak German, Spanish, or French are really proud of their language when they travel outside of the nation. Regardless of how terrible the colonial past is, English, for better or worse, has become that link. Today, even within the country, English has become the primary means of communication. So, should English be the link, or should Hindi, Sanskrit, or Tamil be the link? We must make a decision. With all of this in mind, a firm decision should be made. As of today, our constitution designates Hindi as the national language.’