Chennai: Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin, who retired from international cricket just days ago, has landed in the middle of a controversy after comments he made related to the Hindi language at an event in Tamil Nadu. Fans and political parties are now scrapping over the issue, sparked by the Rajasthan off-spinner’s comments.
To that effect, we invited Ashwin as a guest speaker for a private college in Tamil Nadu, where he was talking to the students about multiple things. “Hindi is not India’s national language,” Ashwin said during the session. In an encouraging statement to students, he told them to ask the questions in Hindi or Tamil or even in English, if comfortable. Though his statement is the factual truth, in that regard (I believe), it doesn’t seem to be going down well with some fans on social media.
Reactions flooded the social media platforms soon. Immediately many commentators pilloried Ashwin for his remarks and having unnecessarily ventured into politics and linguistics, which sportspersons should stay away from. Some cautioned the cricketer to leave his illustrious career in cricket aside and not make comments that can cause a controversy. Some users even claimed that Ashwin could be gearing up for a detour into politics.
Political parties also took to social media and added fuel to the fire. Backing the perception created by Ashwin’s statement, the Tamil Nadu ruling DMK party said their stand on language issues is in sync with their long-held view. The off-spinner had provoked outrage from sections and, conversely, was derided by the BJP, which dismissed his remarks as divisive.
Likewise, fans seemed to be split in their opinions. Some backed Ashwin’s right to express his views, while others were displeased, upbraiding him for indulging in discussions that they felt were not required for a cricketer of his stature.
However, Ravichandran Ashwin has not yet commented further on the issue, despite the uproar. Meanwhile, debates over the choice of the national language, an extremely hot-button issue in India, keep peaking. Whether or not Ashwin had political intentions behind his comment, there’s no denying that it has started a lively discussion on both the social and political verses.
It remains to be seen if this incident will have some long-term ramifications for the much-adored cricketer beyond his sporting life.