AMRAVATI, Jul 22: Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Tuesday said that the “majority of people” believe in being multilingual and should be given a fair opportunity.
The actor-turned-politician said political leaders must “widen their minds and broaden their horizons.”
“Majority of the people think they want to be multilinguistic (multilingual). Let us give them a fair chance and a fair opportunity,” Kalyan told PTI Videos.
Stating that English has become his language of thought, the Jana Sena founder expressed sadness that he could not think in Hindi, Kannada, or Marathi in the same way.
“My mother tongue is not Hindi or English. Sometimes I feel sad that English—or Telugu—has become my thinking language. Telugu comes naturally, but I’ve adopted English as well,” he said.
Backing his linguistic campaign, Kalyan said there’s nothing wrong with multilingualism in a multicultural world.
“Multilingual skills are needed,” he stressed.
He also urged political leaders to think of future generations and make space for them—indirectly calling for a “more multilingual society.”
Kalyan also demanded that the Kohinoor diamond be returned to India, calling it the nation’s “rightful property”.
The Kohinoor, one of the most famous diamonds in the world, is currently part of the British royal family’s crown jewels.
Queen Elizabeth II, who died in 2022, wore a crown adorned with the diamond, which has a long and controversial history. Its previous owners include Mughal emperors, Shahs of Iran, Emirs of Afghanistan, and Sikh maharajas.
According to Historic Royal Palaces, an independent charity that maintains several English palaces, the diamond came into the possession of the East India Company in 1849, after Maharaja Duleep Singh was deposed. Under the Treaty of Lahore, it was surrendered to Queen Victoria.
Weighing about 105.6 carats, the diamond was recut in 1852 to suit European tastes and set in Queen Elizabeth’s crown in 1937.
“I personally feel the Kohinoor should be brought back to India—it belongs to us. It’s the property of our nation, of Bharat. It’s our hard-earned jewel,” Kalyan said.
He added that he hopes his comments will trigger a larger debate on the return of the Kohinoor, believed to have originated from Andhra Pradesh. (PTI)
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