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.
ஹிந்தி தெரியவில்லை என்றால் கூட்டத்தில் இருந்து விலகுங்கள்: மத்திய ஆயுஷ் அமைச்சகத்தின் அதிகாரிகள் தமிழக நியூரோபதி & யோகா மருத்துவர்களிடம் கூறியுள்ளனர்
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.
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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.
The statement of Secretary of the Union Ministry of AYUSH Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha that non Hindi speaking participants could leave during a Ministry’s training session speaks volumes about the Hindi domination being imposed.This is highly condemnable… 1/4#StopHindiImposition
— Kanimozhi (கனிமொழி) (@KanimozhiDMK) August 22, 2020
DMK MP Ms @KanimozhiDMK writes to #Ayush Minister Mr SY Naik raises incident, alleges, “Uni Secy, Ayush Min told non-Hindi speaking participants to leave meeting if they didn’t understand Hindi
Urge u to order probe; imposition of Hindi violation of our constitutional principles” pic.twitter.com/xVLS6zqcKZ— Supriya Bhardwaj (@Supriya23bh) August 22, 2020
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.”
AYUSH training in Hindi ignores Tamil Nadu delegates – The Hindu https://t.co/gE52LTUlGZ 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. #StopHindiImposition
— Karti P Chidambaram (@KartiPC) August 22, 2020
Also read: Common language good for progress, but unfortunately not possible in India: Rajinikanth