Kerala Women MLAs Walk Out of NCW Workshop Over Hindi Row
A language row has erupted after Kerala women MLAs walked out of a National Commission for Women (NCW) workshop in Faridabad. The legislators objected to the heavy use of Hindi during the sessions. They also said there was not enough translation support for non-Hindi-speaking participants.
Kerala Women MLAs Raise Language Concerns
The NCW organised the two-day workshop under its “She is a Changemaker” initiative. The programme focused on gender-responsive governance and included more than 100 women legislators from across India.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla inaugurated the event. However, the Kerala delegation soon raised concerns about the language used during the sessions.
The legislators said they expected practical discussions on lawmaking and governance. Instead, they found it difficult to follow several sessions because Hindi was used extensively. They requested the use of English as well. However, they said their concerns were not properly addressed.
The Kerala delegation included Deputy Speaker Shanimol Osman, Ministers Bindhu Krishna and K A Thulasi, and MLAs K K Rema, Fathima Thahliya, Vidya Balakrishnan and Usha Vijayan.
Kerala Women MLAs Leave Before Closing Ceremony
The disagreement later escalated. The Kerala legislators left the venue before the final session and closing ceremony.
The legislators clarified that their objection was not against Hindi itself. Instead, they wanted better language arrangements for participants from different states.
The incident has now triggered a wider political debate. The discussion is mainly about language, representation and inclusion at national events.
Congress leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor supported the Kerala legislators. He also criticised the handling of the workshop.
Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan also condemned the alleged treatment of the delegation. He said national programmes should respect India’s linguistic diversity. He also stressed the need for equal participation.
Meanwhile, the controversy has renewed the debate over the use of Hindi at national-level programmes. India has many major regional languages. Therefore, language arrangements can play an important role in ensuring that every participant can take part fully.
The NCW workshop row has now become a fresh flashpoint in the ongoing debate over language and federal representation in India.
