Bizarre! AYUSH Secretary Asks Non-Hindi Speakers To Leave Webinar; Re-Ignites Hindi Imposition Debate

A portion of this session where Rajesh Kotecha made the remarks has gone viral on social media. It has once again brought up the discussion over Hindi imposition.

File Photo: Twitter/@indfoundation

New Delhi: Union AYUSH Secretary Rajesh Kotecha has made it to the headlines as his remarks asking non-Hindi speakers to leave his webinar session sparked fresh controversy over the issue of Hindi Imposition.  Union AYUSH Secretary Rajesh Kotecha was addressing a three-day national-level training programme for yoga instructors. The participants included people from all over the country. When the secretary began speaking in Hindi, he was being asked by several people to converse in English as they did not understand the former language. At this point, the secretary said that "Those who do not understand Hindi can leave the session, it is not compulsory. I don't speak English very well so I will continue to speak in Hindi". A portion of this session where Rajesh Kotecha made his remarks has gone viral on social media. It has once again brought up the discussion over Hindi imposition on people who do not understand the language and want to have a choice when it comes to learning it. Many have taken to Twitter to share their views over the same.

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Calling the remark "condemnable", Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Kanimozhi wrote, "Govt should place the Secretary under suspension and initiate appropriate disciplinary proceedings. How long is this attitude of excluding non-Hindi speakers to be tolerated?

Govt should place the Secretary under suspension and initiate appropriate disciplinary proceedings. How long is this attitude of excluding non Hindi speakers to be tolerated ?

2/4 — Kanimozhi (கனிமொழி) (@KanimozhiDMK) August 22, 2020

In another tweet, Kanimozhi shared her letter addressed to Shripad Y. Naik, the Union Minister of State for AYUSH, seeking an inquiry over the matter and action to be taken against the officials involved. Congress MP Jothimani has also written to Union Minister Shripad Y. Naik asking the ministry to clarify its position and take appropriate measures.

Today i wrote to Hon Minister for AYUSH Mr.@shripadynaik regarding the insult met out by our TamilNadu doctors by AYUSH Secy for not knowing Hindi. He asked them to leave if they are not knowing Hindi. This is highly condemnable.Hope the Hon Minister will act . pic.twitter.com/JQcgHbb2O9

— Jothimani (@jothims) August 22, 2020

"I wish to place on record the clarification that Tamil Nadu is not against any language in India. But we will continue to resist any form of impositions of any language," she wrote.

Hindi Imposition Debate

The matter of Hindi imposition makes headlines every once in a while. Be it over replacing official signages in English to Hindi or the matter of mandating Hindi as a compulsory subject in schools as per a three-language policy. A significant part of the Indian republic continues to raise their voices against making Hindi the national language, often correcting those who believe it to be so while reminding them that Hindi is one of the official languages including English. India has a total of 22 languages listed as the scheduled languages. WATCH | Top 100 stories of the day