Minding one’s language in Parliament is de rigeur, but when language itself becomes a matter of contention, proceedings can get unparliamentary. Environment and forest minister Jairam Ramesh discovered this when he fell foul of Hindi-speaking members after replying to questions in English in the Rajya Sabha.
Trouble arose during question hour when Ramesh replied in English to a supplementary put to him in Hindi, triggering a sharp reaction from Kalraj Mishra (BJP) who asked him why he was not replying in Hindi despite being fluent in it.
To this Ramesh commented in Hindi: “Kalraj Mishraji, Mulayam Singhji ki yeh bimari aap tak bhi pahuch gayi hai (this disease of Mulayam Singh Yadav has reached you too)”, referring to the SP leader raising in Lok Sabha the issue of ministers being fluent in Hindi but using English.
The minister’s remark drew flak from the BJP, SP and BSP members, who said Hindi was not a disease. Chairman Hamid Ansari then said both the languages could be used in the House and members should not make an issue out of a non-issue.
“This (original) question was asked in English and the minister has the right to answer in English,” he ruled. But this did not pacify the members who kept protesting against Ramesh till the chair ruled that any comment against the national language would be expunged.
This was, however, not the end of the matter. AIADMK member K Malaichamy insisted on asking his question to coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal (a Hindi-speaking person) in chaste Tamil. Jaiswal was at sea, but Malaichamy got a thumbs up from Ramesh.
Since translation was not available, Malaichamy then repeated his question in English, and demanded that the minister reply in the same language. The point being made was that Hindi was a language of a few states in the north, and if it was being imposed, why not any other Indian languages? It is not clear whether this war would continue on Tuesday.
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