Chennai: Veteran actor Rajinikanth on Wednesday said the concept of a common language in India was not possible and asserted that any attempts of Hindi imposition will not be only be resisted by southern states, but also many in the North.
The actor's remarks came in response to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's recent pitch for Hindi as a common language.
The 'Superstar' said Hindi should not be imposed as the concept of a common language was "unfortunately" not possible in the country.
"A common language not just for India but any country is good for its unity and progress. Unfortunately, (one cannot) bring a common language in our country. So you cannot impose any language," he told reporters at the airport here. "Especially, if you impose Hindi, not just Tamil Nadu, no southern state will accept that. Many states in northern parts will also not accept that," he said.
The superstar’s comments come a day after actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan said “no Shah, Samrat or Sultan can renege on the promise of unity”. In a video message, Haasan warned against making “inclusive India an exclusive one”, saying all would suffer because of the “folly”. He added that Jallikattu was just a protest and “the battle for our language will be exponentially bigger than that”. “India or Tamil Nadu does not deserve such a battle,” he said, adding: "We respect all languages but our mother language will always be Tamil."
There was been growing opposition to the statement by Amit Shah on Hindi Diwas, who said it was extremely important for a country to have a common language that becomes the mark of its identity in the world.
Pitching for 'one nation, one language' on the occasion of Hindi Diwas, Shah said, "India is a country of different languages and every language has its own importance but it is necessary to have a common language that becomes the mark of identity of the country. Today, if a language can keep the country united, it is the widely-spoken Hindi language."
He further appealed to the people to use Hindi more often, and contribute in fulfilling the dream of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel of 'one nation, one language'.
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