Taking it to Twitter, Chidambaram said, “The unpleasant experience of DMK MP Ms Kanimozhi at Chennai airport is not unusual.”
Chennai| The row over Hindi Imposition in the non-Hindi speaking states has kicked again after DMK MP Kanimozhi shared her experience on Twitter on Sunday. Reacting to it, Congress MP and former Finance Minister, P Chidambaram who also hails from Tamil Nadu said that the unpleasant experience is not unusual. Taking it to Twitter, Chidambaram said, “The unpleasant experience of DMK MP Ms Kanimozhi at Chennai airport is not unusual.”
In a series of tweets, he explained that he has also faced the same in the past- even in government offices. He said, “I have experienced similar taunts from government officers and ordinary citizens who insisted that I speak in Hindi during telephone conversations and sometimes face to face.”
Also Read: “Asked If I Am Indian For Not Speaking Hindi At Airport,” DMK’s Kanimozhi Tweets
I have experienced similar taunts from government officers and ordinary citizens who insisted that I speak in Hindi during telephone conversations and sometimes face to face
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) August 10, 2020
Central Govt Employees Should Learn Both Hindi and English
He further said that if the Central government genuinely wants both Hindi and English to be India’s official languages, it must insist on govt officials being bilingual. “If the Central government is genuinely committed to both Hindi and English being the official languages of India, it must insist that all central government employees are bilingual in Hindi and English,” Chidambaram tweeted.
He also asked if non-Hindi speaking recruits of Central govt can quickly learn functional Hindi, why can’t it be other way round? “Non-Hindi speaking recruits to central government posts quickly learn functional, spoken Hindi. Why cannot Hindi speaking recruits to central government posts learn functional, spoken English?” Chidambaram asked.
“Was Asked If I am Indian”: DMK MP Kanimozhi
Kanimozhi, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader, on Sunday said she was asked if she was an Indian by a CISF officer at the airport. She said she was asked this after she told the officer that she does not know Hindi. “From when did being an Indian is equal to speaking in Hindi,” Kanimozhi asked on twitter.
Today at the airport a CISF officer asked me if “I am an Indian” when I asked her to speak to me in tamil or English as I did not know Hindi. I would like to know from when being indian is equal to knowing Hindi.#hindiimposition
— Kanimozhi (கனிமொழி) (@KanimozhiDMK) August 9, 2020
“Today at the airport a CISF officer asked me if “I am an Indian” when I asked her to speak to me in Tamil or English as I did not know Hindi. I would like to know from when being Indian is equal to knowing Hindi,” she posted through her Twitter handle.
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