New Delhi, June 06: The latest order issued by the Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (GIPMER) in Delhi directing all its nurses to communicate in English or Hindi has triggered a major controversy.
The circular, which has been issued by the Nursing Superintendent, stated, "A complaint has been received regarding Malayalam language is being used for communication in working places in GIPMER. Whereas maximum patient and colleagues do not know this language and feel helpless causing a lot of inconvenience. So it is directed to all Nursing Personnel to use only Hindi and English for communication otherwise serious action will be taken."
G.B. Pant nurses' association president Liladhar Ramchandani told PTI that the circular was issued in pursuance of a complaint sent by a patient to a senior officer in the health department, regarding use of Malayalam language at the hospital, while adding that "the union disagrees with the wordings used in the circular".
Violation of basic human rights: Tharoor
Reacting to the development, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor called the circular offensive and a violation of the basic human rights of Indian citizens.
"It boggles the mind that in democratic India a government institution can tell its nurses not to speak in their mother tongue to others who understand them. This is unacceptable, crude, offensive and a violation of the basic human rights of Indian citizens. A reprimand is overdue! (sic)" he said in a tweet.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also tweeted saying, "Malayalam is as Indian as any other Indian language. Stop language discrimination!"