After backlash, Delhi govt hospital withdraws 'no Malayalam' order; nurses from Kerala seek apology

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A Delhi government hospital on June 5 issued a circular asking its nursing staff not to use Malayalam at work as "maximum patients and colleagues do not know this language" which it said causes a lot of inconvenience.

The controversial order at the Delhi government's Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (GIPMER), one of the leading facilities, has since been withdrawn.

Hospital administration said that the order was issued by the Nursing superintendent without the administration's knowledge.

"That was a blunder by Nursing superintendent, will initiate action,"  the Medical Director of GB Pant Hospital said.

Sources said Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain had intervened and sought an explanation from the hospital's Medical Superintendent on the diktat that triggered a backlash. A memo, they said, has also been issued to the superintendent.

"We have directed the hospital to cancel the order. It was issued without the Health Department's knowledge.  The department will also issue a memo to the Medical Superintendent of the hospital to explain how the order was issued," said an official from the office of Delhi’s Health Minister Satyendar Jain.

A prominent union of Malayali nurses in the national capital has sought a written apology from the hospital, claiming that it has insulted the entire state of Kerala.

"It was really shocking for us. We feel that it is a threat to our linguistic freedom. We need an apology from the concerned person as they have humiliated the whole state," news agency ANI quoted Fameer CK, a member of Delhi Action Committee of Malayali nurses, as saying.

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The now-withdrawn circular issued by the hospital had asked its nurses to use only Hindi and English for communication or face "strict action."

G B Pant nurses' association president Liladhar Ramchandani claimed it was issued in pursuance of a complaint sent by a patient to a senior officer in the health department, regarding the use of Malayalam language at the hospital while adding that "the union disagrees with the wordings used in the circular."

The circular in public domain since June 5 evening read, "a complaint has been received regarding Malayalam language 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."

Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research, Delhi directs all its nursing personnel to use only Hindi&English for communication, warns of serious action if not done. It had received complaint against the use of Malayalam language in the institute pic.twitter.com/jQqCpqjOrn

— ANI (@ANI) June 5, 2021

"So, it is directed to all nursing personnel to use only Hindi and English for communication. Otherwise serious action will be taken, it reads. Ramchandani, also the secretary general of Delhi Nurses Federation said, "As a language's name, Malayalam, has been inserted in the circular, many will take offence."

He also claimed that this circular was "consequent of the complaint filed by the patient" and "internally, there is no issue among the nurses and the administration." Many nurses at various hospitals across India, hail from Kerala, with Malayalam being their native language. The circular has drawn sharp criticism from other nursing unions too.

The circular has also drawn sharp criticism from Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor. Gandhi slammed the circular in a tweet saying: "Malayalam is as Indian as any other Indian language. Stop language discrimination!"

Tharoor also took to Twitter calling the circular "unacceptable, crude, 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! pic.twitter.com/za7Y4yYzzX

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) June 5, 2021

[With inputs from PTI]