'10 years in US, still no English?’ Netizens slam Indian truck driver over viral Hindi interview

Vivek Sharma, who has driven trucks for eight years, fears losing his livelihood and the ability to send money home. (Image credit: ABC 7 News)

An Indian truck driver in California has become the center of a heated online debate after his interview with ABC 7 News went viral — not for the hardship he described, but for speaking in Hindi.

Vivek Sharma, who has lived legally in the US for 10 years while seeking political asylum, said he can no longer renew his commercial driver’s license under a new emergency rule issued by the US Department of Transportation. The regulation restricts renewals to green card holders and US citizens. Sharma, who has driven trucks for eight years, fears losing his livelihood and the ability to send money home. “I don’t know what to do now,” he said in Hindi, adding that his final asylum hearing is next year.

This noncitizen truck driver refuses to learn English and is upset because the Trump administration won't let him renew his Commercial Drivers License so he can send money back to his family in India.pic.twitter.com/fokEhhhBNs

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— Breanna Morello (@BreannaMorello) October 14, 2025

But online, the focus shifted from policy to language. “An Indian citizen who’s been in California for 10 years doesn’t know enough English to qualify for a trucking license. Shouldn’t this be the bare minimum for anyone living in the US?” wrote Rothmus (@Rothmus). LibertyRobUSA (@LibertyRobUS) added: “This is not about what language someone speaks at home. In the working world, English needs to be mandatory. After 10 years, he couldn’t speak English — endangering the public.”

Others linked the issue to safety, citing an August crash in Florida where Indian-origin trucker Harjinder Singh allegedly made an illegal U-turn, killing three people. “Remember that Indian trucker who made an illegal U-turn that killed three people recently? The trucker couldn’t read nor speak English,” tweeted svhacker (@rsf4640). Singh now faces vehicular homicide charges and was deemed a flight risk by a Florida judge.

Amid the backlash, US transportation secretary Sean Duffy defended the crackdown on English proficiency. “Do you want to drive on American roads? Being able to understand English is the BARE MINIMUM,” he posted, adding that the rule aims to prevent accidents and improve safety standards.