A Bengaluru auto driver is winning support for standing his ground against a woman passenger who insisted he speak Hindi.
The video has gone viral, and garnered 26 lakh views. The exchange again puts the spotlight on what many in the southern states see as Hindi dominance.
“Please find that lady who intimidated that autodriver and advise her to read Indian Constituion (sic) Preamble 10 times,” said Rejimon Kuttappan, author. Sumit, an entrepreneur, said, “I don’t think auto driver was wrong (sic)!”
“He is right. He is communicating in English which is a language mutually understood by both the parties. So, the logic of conversing in Hindi, truly doesn’t hold any water,” said Ranadeb Bhattacharya, a writer.
What activists say
Ganesh Chetan, convenor of Kannada Grahakara Koota, says that the push for Hindi for 70-plus years has led many speakers of the language to “throw their weight around” in south India.
“Part 17 of the Indian Constitution gives special status to Hindi, due to which it is called our official language. All our scheduled languages should be made official languages,” he says.
The Koota will observe World Consumer Rights Day on March 15 with a Twitter campaign with the #ServeInMyLanguage.
Arun Javgal, state organisation secretary of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, says, “Many believe that Hindi is the national language, but it is not. The Centre has always pushed for policies and services in Hindi, which leads to this divide.” Javgal commends the State government for its free-of-cost Kannada classes.
Language activist Kiran Kodlady says, “Anyone in south India, who steps out for personal or professional work, faces Hindi imposition in some way or the other, at banks, airports, and other places.” Also, it is wrong to imagine that only those who speak Hindi are patriotic. The message should come from the top, he suggests.
Citizen’s rights and social activist Tara Krishnaswamy says such incidents are the result of cultural hegemony and ignorance. “Cross-state migration to all big cities including Bengaluru has increased. Those who move in demanding that the locals speak Hindi are absolutely wrong,” she adds.
Misinformation and ignorance about diverse Indian cultures and the misconception that Hindi is the national language leads to such run-ins, says Tara.