Tamil Nadu: Language Discrimination Controversy

An alleged act of discrimination based on language has sparked controversy after 37 yoga and naturopathy practitioners from Tamil Nadu were allegedly asked by the Union Ayush Secretary to leave an online training program for not knowing Hindi.

The alleged incident in a national webinar has been condemned by several political personalities, activists, and intellectuals, who are now seeking to probe the matter and take strict action against the officials.

As per a recent media report, a three-day virtual event organized by the Ministry of AYUSH in collaboration with Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga for Master Trainers of Yoga was attended by over 300 participants from across the country, who would be deployed at various Health and Wellness Centres (HWCS) under Ayushman Bharat post-training.

During the course of the training, the Tamil Nadu doctors found it difficult to comprehend the meaning of the speaker as the speeches were given in Hindi. They asked to hold the sessions in English or bilingual language instead of Hindi. Three of the doctors claimed that only four training sessions were in English while the rest of the classes were delivered in Hindi. They repeatedly requested the organizers to make the classes bilingual but in vain.

Displeased over the same, the doctors expressed their inconvenience via sending messages on the chatbox. However, following the objection, they were told to leave the session.

Under such circumstances, during one of the lectures, the Ayush Secretary allegedly stated that "I want to congratulate people who have taken the time to attend this event in the past two days. I have information that, for the past two days, there has been a problem…people can leave…I do not speak English very well. So, I will speak in Hindi."

Even a video of the Ayush Secretary allegedly saying the same has also surfaced.

Humiliated and enraged at this kind of discriminatory treatment towards them, the doctors have now moved a formal letter to the Ministry of AYUSH flagging quality issues in training, while adding that doctors from Tamil Nadu were clearly discriminated against for not "knowing Hindi."

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Besides, MP Kanimozhi also submitted a letter to the Ayush ministry highlighting the issue and urging the government to take strict action.

She mentioned in her letter, "that an incident of the imposition of Hindi in violation of our constitutional principles which has taken place during a virtual training event or webinar conducted by the Union of Ayush. During the event, it has been reported the Union Secretary of the Government Ministry of Ayush has told non-Hindi speaking participants to leave the meeting if they did not understand Hindi and continued to speak in Hindi."

She further added, "I urge you to immediately order an inquiry into the above-mentioned incident and take action against all officials who have acted in the manner discriminating our fellow citizens on the basis of language."

My letter to the Honorable Union Minister @shripadynaik on the reported Hindi imposition. #StopHindiImposition

— Kanimozhi (கனிமொழி) (@KanimozhiDMK) August 22, 2020

Another famous political personality Stalin also stated that "It is shameful that a senior government official in the rank of secretary has behaved in such an uncivilized fashion prompted by linguistic chauvinism."

Apart from this, the participants also stated that the trainers in the programs were not 'qualified' enough to provide professional guidance. They have further stated that the AYUSH Secretary allegedly threatened to act against participants who questioned why Yoga and Naturopathy were being split while they have been together till now, reports Deccan Herald.