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I was constantly nudged to speak in English, my words manipulated, says AYUSH secretary

AYUSH Ministry Secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha triggered a controversy after he allegedly asked participants of an online conference, who couldn’t speak Hindi, to leave.

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New Delhi: After a row over his purported remark on non-Hindi speaking people during an online conference this week, AYUSH Ministry Secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha Saturday said the conference of AYUSH trainers was “gate-crashed by uninvited participants”, who were constantly “nudging” him to speak in English.

Kotecha’s statement to ThePrint came two days after he reportedly asked participants at the conference, who didn’t not understand Hindi, to leave as he isn’t very fluent in English. A video clip of the conference, which Kotecha said is “morphed”, has gone viral on social media.

கடந்த 3நாட்களாக அமைச்சகத்தின் சார்பில் பயிற்சி கூட்டம் நடத்தப்பட்டதில் இவ்வாறு கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது pic.twitter.com/CGtBn15XQS

— Niranjan kumar (@niranjan2428) August 21, 2020

 

His purported remarks at the conference, which was organised for AYUSH trainers across the country, were termed “insulting” by some associations of medical practitioners in Tamil Nadu. The conference was on ‘Yoga Training for Master Trainers of States’.

Speaking to ThePrint over the phone, Kotecha said: “There was an official training programme for master trainers for yoga arranged for state officials from all states. I was using both languages — English and Hindi — in my address. I have always used both languages in my interaction at similar platforms, earlier as well.” 

However, he claimed, the “meeting was gate-crashed by several uninvited participants who were constantly nudging me to speak in English. While I was trying and speaking in both languages, these people who gained illegal access, were constantly interrupting me by repeating ‘Only English, Only English’.

“I humbly conveyed that I am not fluent in English, but trying to speak in both languages and if they are unable to follow, they can leave,” Kotecha said.  

Claiming that the video clip circulating on social media is “morphed”, the secretary said that according to the invite, the number of invited participants was 350, who all should be government officials.

But, there were 430 people who had joined the online conference, he said. “It shows that the meeting was gate-crashed,” he added.


Also read: Commentators Amarnath, Doshi trolled for calling Hindi ‘national tongue’ during Ranji match


Not the first time I have used mixed language: Kotecha 

According to Kotecha, who is also an ayurvedic doctor and the former vice-chancellor of Jamnagar-based Gujarat Ayurveda University, it is not the first time he was addressing a national-level meeting using “mixed language”. 

“I am not sure of the agenda behind manipulating my words and blowing it out of proportion and circulating a morphed video, but it is not the first time that I have used mixed language during national level interactions.”

He added that “trainers from northern India, especially from Uttar Pradesh belt, request for Hindi-based interaction whereas trainers in southern India, request for English. I am more proficient in Hindi. But I have always tried to interact in both languages and no one has ever minded that.”

The video of the programme is not available in public domain as the meeting was organised for internal training purpose of only government officials. 

Kotecha was appointed as the secretary of AYUSH Ministry in 2017 for three years and in May this year, he got an extension for another two years. 

DMK MP sends letter against Kotecha

Kotecha’s purported remarks have triggered a row, with some politicians from non-Hindi speaking states condemning him.

DMK MP Kanimozhi, who represents Thoothukudi constituency in Tamil Nadu, said Kotecha’s statement spoke volumes about “the Hindi domination being imposed”.

“Govt should place the Secretary under suspension and initiate appropriate disciplinary proceedings. How long is this attitude of excluding non-Hindi speakers to be tolerated,” she wrote. She also shot off a letter Saturday to Union AYUSH Minister Shripad Yesso Naik in this regard. 

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, son of former Union minister P. Chidambaram, also reacted strongly saying: “Not knowing English is understandable, but this arrogance of asking those who don’t know Hindi to leave and insisting on speaking in Hindi is totally unacceptable.” 


Also read: Common language good for progress, but unfortunately not possible in India: Rajinikanth


 

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39 COMMENTS

  1. This whole Ministry of Gomutra should be shut down and it s ministers and staff be given VRS – in the interests of the health of Indians.
    The few parts that make sense such as Ayurveda and Yoga will surely survive without meddling from these mediocrities. This Kotecha creature should go back to doing what he perhaps knows best: being a lumpen gaurakshak in the service of Adityanath.

  2. Original video can be taken from nic. And if it is same will he resign!!!He is person who is using government office for personal benefit. He is incompetent as well the advisor for (Yoga & Naturopathy) is unqualified. The master training of Yoga people who are just 12 th passed and ignoring and depriving thousands of qualified BNYS graduates who study for 5 and 1/2 years.
    Both secretary and Advisor (Yoga & Naturopathy) are promoting quackry. And giving benfit to his wife in NIA.

  3. When Britishers came they entered India from southern side and ruled southern India for longer duration than other parts of India where they spread slowly. It is matter of shame that in South people prefer a language which is foreign and of the brutal rulers than a language which is of India. It shows the slave mentality.

    • Which language you read the news and posted your comment?

      If you think usage of english is slave mentality, then what about you?

      Just fyi… We all try to communicate in ine language which is known to everyone.

      • Very well said Mr Naveen M !

        Indeed, the likes of Indian would bend backwards to send their children to English Medium schools whilst talking rubbish about English.

    • The port of entry was Mumbai. FYI. Slave mentality of south indians or Nose Up dont care attitude of North Indians. Are south indians colonial slaves to north indians after independence.?

    • This guy has written books in English and is appointed as the secretary of a central government department without being able to converse in English. It is not like he is giving a Oscar speech or something. This says so much about the quality of ‘hocus-pokes’ so called ‘Ayurveda Doctors’ we have in our country

    • Indian: You get your history wrong as well. The East India Company presented its credentials to the Mughal courts in Delhi and not in South India.

      In 1615, Thomas Roe of the East India Company presented his credentials from King James I in 1615 to the Mughal Emperor Jahangir, then the world’s mightiest monarch, at whose court the Englishman was a humble supplicant. After three years of effort, Roe established a Mughal-East India Company relationship based on trade, not attempted military domination. Thus, the British made their entry into India through Delhi and not the South. Indeed, the Mughal empire did not extend to South India.

      Stop talking nonsense “Indian”. As they say:

      “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt.”

      • Correct me, but Mysore was also the last kingdom to fall. North folded much earlier.
        Bengal just rolled over with little challenge.
        At least, Mysore fought tooth and nail.

  4. How can there be gatecrashers in a meeting organised by a secretary to the central govt, it’s plain hogwash to save his face. He should admit the mistake and apologize and go forward

  5. How come a secretary of health not know english ??? Its not a movie for God’s sake where we can make the story even if we don’t understand few words. Its a medical conference and doctors should be clear with whatever is being discussed..

    I request Shri Narendra Modi ji and honorable health minister to take action against this person, otherwise bjp will be wiped out of Tamil nadu in the next election

  6. India is a diverse country with 22 official languages,if there has to be a national level training a responsible person should organise multilingual trainer ot interpreter or plan training regionwise in an agreed medium of instruction. Cannot speak English is a skill issue and can be ignored but based on the media details This person responsible has a basic attitude problem .

  7. It is always ALWAYS the DMK /Tamil politicians who have a problem with Hindi. No one else. The guy has given his explanation and he has said he was speaking in both languages.People opposed to understanding and people always wanting to create discord will find fault with anything Hindi.Better to ignore them.

      • Very well said Guest.

        It is the racist, domineering attitudes f the testicle-scratchers of North India which is the problem, not Hindi the language per se. But then, don’t expect these “intellectuals” to grasp that.

    • Well Mr Santos, we are entitled to say “To Hell with Hindi” in the South. As we always have and have enough North Indians with their begging bowls in the South to prove that an investment in English pays.

  8. English has gained ground in our heart and we feel ashamed if we speak in our own language in India. British have left India long back but still deeply ingrained in our mind.
    If someone cannot talk English properly we immediately label then “incompetent”. Many Indian parents talk to their children only in English.
    All our languages are great, lets be proud to speak and learn our languages be it Hindi or Tamil or Telugu….

    • Slavery to English continues and propagated by brown slave sepoys of DMK. I am a Malayali and is proud to speak Hindi as well as Tamil and Kannada. Hindi Hai Hum.

      • Mr Vd. Harish: Slavery to Hindi contonues and is propagated by people like you Sir – the brown slave sepoys of the BJP, the RSS and the uncouth, testicle scratching gaurakshaks of Adityanthisthan. If you wish to be proud of your skills Hindi, Telugu, Kannada and every other language except Malayalam, then I think you should leave God’s Own Country and go and live elsewhere. So pack your bags and go and become a gaurakshak for Adityanath and you can drown your pathetic self in all the Hindi you want.

  9. 1. Manipulated and Morphed Video – Minstry has broadcasted the live session in FB page. These recordings are deleted now. If he is not guilty, why is he clearing the evidences. His complete address may be found here – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dpTSctbcr_rTgSpjlNH5bcLXaxLrjn0P/view?usp=sharing

    2. Uninvited & Gate-crashing: Ministry of AYUSH made the closed training programme to open through their FB post:
    https://www.facebook.com/mdniyayush/posts/791497168344747

    Padmashree Awardee stooping low for his position!

  10. It has been accepted that hindi is the official language and not national language of india
    English for all its faults is our link.language
    Better develop it

  11. If he is not comfortable in English, then get a person who can speak both English and Hindi.
    He cannot ask people to leave as he is not comfortable in English.

    Why accept a job or a post, if you cannot to communicate to PAN India population.

  12. These IAS babus are capable of stooping to any level. They are just parasites. This country will not prosper so long as these UPSC liabilities rule the nation.

  13. Being a non-Hindi speaking person who initially faced the problem of speaking to Hindi audience in English, I would like to say that the issue is blown out of proportion. I I initially talked to people in English, then learned to speak fluent Hindi but I was never harassed by my audience to speak in Hindi. My audience always appreciated me for my attempts to speak in Hindi and ignored my grammatical mistakes. I used both English and Hindi whenever there was a mixed audience, despite English being my medium of comfort. Now I address my audience in multiple languages without any issue from any one. Languages is just medium of expression, nothing more or nothing less. We should not make issues out of somebody’s language proficiency. We should rather encourage each other to learn more and more languages.

  14. It is stupidity on Tamil Nadu politicians rocketing on languages, feel Dr Kotecha was right in telling if you don’t follow either Hindi or English, better leave. Politicians of TN specially the DMK and Congress are experts in manipulation of news, they are trying for another spin or googly, but it’s a wide. Suggest do something good for the state.

  15. Sheer disregard for Constitution, our fate that we have a person who can’t speak English as secretary. Govt should first teach him constitutional rights given to citizens . Sheer arrogance

    • Agree with you Mr B. Padmanabhan !

      But we have here a chappathi belt man who would have difficulties getting a job as a chaprasi and who runs the Ministry of Hocus Pocus: He can’t be expected to show anything but uncouth behaviour. Nothing surprising at all here. The arrogance of the Hindi belt has to be tamed .

  16. It is pure political stunt by the DMK MP to garner votes for the upcoming assembly election. As a Tamilian I understand the feelings of Tamil nadu attendees. But if the statement by the secretary is true then one should understand the provocation and the statement made out of it. Ayush ministry should probe further and come out of the truth behind it. Tamilians are so sensitive in nature with regard to Tamil language especially in public forum, even family, culture and nation were out of focus. Though they send their wards to English medium schools and those children never knew Tamil vocabulary unless in English transcript, their prestige of Tamil language and culture in public forum never weaned.

  17. Being close to Election in Tamil Nadu, we are expecting more noise around language issue. However, as a non Hindi speaking citizen I fully support Tamil speaking people for importance of local language s.

  18. How is it a person like Katoch getvthe Secretary level posting without knowing English. When he was incompetent, who gave him extention for second term. If one is not wrong, Cabinet Committe on Appointments must have approved this incompetent secretary’s appointment & extention. This speaks volumes of 56″ administration!

    • If it is so than why is Nirmala sitharaman given such crucial role of finance minister without knowing hindi language?
      You are just looking issue with a closed mind…

      • Mr Raghuvanshi: Most work in Ministries is best carried out in English and not in a controversial, and in many parts of India, a despised langauge with heavy baggage viz. Hindi. Attempts to impose Hindi in the South in the 1960s have resulted in Hindi being associated with North Indian colonisation of the South. These attempts by various Central Governments of all stripes and the RSS to shove a hated – or at least a controversial – language down the throats of other Indians has resulted in resentment towards Hindi in many parts of India. Indeed, during the Khalistan struggles, Sikhs rallied behind Punjabi and railed against Hindi. Today, this Hindi fanaticism of North Indians like you and this good-for-nothing Minister will only serve to marginalise the language even more.

  19. Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha – you are incompetent for this position if you don’t know English which is the link language. It’s your fault and you should have resigned, moron.

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