'One of my shortcomings is not learning Tamil': PM Modi

On his 'Man Ki Baat' radio show, Modi was answering a question from Aparna Reddy, Hyderabad and expressed regret that he could not learn Tamil.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
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In his latest Mann Ki Baat episode, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he considered not learning Tamil to be one of his shortcomings. The Prime Minister who is currently serving his second five-year-term made the statement during his radio show on Sunday. Mann Ki Baat is Narendra Modi’s monthly radio programme.

Modi was answering a question from Aparna Reddy from Hyderabad and expressed regret that he could not learn Tamil, the oldest language in the world. He called it his shortcoming. The Prime Minister said, "She asked me 'you have been PM for so many years and were CM for so many years. Do you ever feel that something is missing? Aparnaji's question seems simple but is equally difficult.”

"I pondered over this and told myself that one of my shortcomings was that I could not make much effort to learn Tamil, the oldest language in the world. I could not get myself to learn Tamil!” Modi exclaimed.

Calling it a beautiful language, the Prime Minister said, “It is such a beautiful language, which is popular all over the world. Many people have told me a lot about the quality of Tamil literature and the depth of the poems written in it.”

He went on to acknowledge the country’s diversity before moving on to the next part of his Mann Ki Baat speech. “India is a land of many languages, which symbolises our culture and pride," the Prime Minister said.

Ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in the state, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made a series of visits. He visited the state on February 14 to lay foundation stones for several projects and inaugurate many other completed projects. Less than a couple of weeks later he flew down to the southern state once again, making pit stops at Coimbatore and Puducherry to inaugurate other projects.

(With inputs from IANS)

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