New Delhi: An officer of the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) from Tamil Nadu has protested against being subjected to “Hindi imposition” as he does not know the “ABCD of Hindi”.
B. Balamurugan, posted in the Hindi Cell of the GST Chennai Outer Commissionerate since last year, has sent a letter to the Central Board of Indirect Tax and Customs (CBIC), saying: “It is my humble opinion that the officer posted in Hindi Cell should know (how) to read and write Hindi and also express his willingness to work in Hindi Cell before posting in Hindi Cell.”
The CBIC is the cadre controlling authority of all IRS (customs) officers. The Hindi Language Cell compiles quarterly statistical reports on the implementation of Hindi and conducts quarterly review meetings to monitor the use of Hindi language in official work.
In the letter dated 9 August, Balamurugan, an officer of the 2003 batch, stated: “The nature of the job in Hindi Cell is to monitor and promote use of Hindi as official language in file notings and official communication.
“I am not interested in working in Hindi Cell. Posting me in Hindi Cell is nothing but imposing Hindi on me. It is like giving Bible or Quran to a Brahmin and directing him to propagate Christianity or Islam,” he said in the letter, accessed by ThePrint.
He added: “I request the Chairman, CBIC, to instruct all the Head of Department in the CBIC to make posting in Hindi Cell only those officers who know Hindi and who are willing to work in Hindi Cell.”
ThePrint reached the commissioner of GST and Central Excise, Chennai Outer Commissionerate, through text messages and calls for a comment on why Balamurugan was posted in the Hindi Cell when he does not know the language, but there was no reply until the publishing of this report.
However, an official in the CBIC told ThePrint the letter has been received, but is yet to be processed.
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‘How is that fair?’
Speaking to ThePrint, Balamurugan said, “We sign papers without even understanding what is written because at least 50 per cent of the communication is in Hindi. How is that fair?”
While he did not want to get into the politics of Hindi imposition, he said that it is unfair to subject an officer to this. “I am awaiting a response from the CBIC,” he added.
Balamurugan also said that while his family knew Hindi, he cannot be penalised for not knowing the language or having no interest in learning it.
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