A recent incident on a domestic flight from Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh) to Hyderabad (Telangana) highlighted the importance of having either the safety instructions in the local language of the state the flight is flying in or recruiting a crew that knows the local language.
The debate was sparked when Twitter user Devasmita Chakraverty highlighted how a woman onboard an IndiGo flight who knew only Telugu and not Hindi or English was forced to change her seat. Giving ‘security issue’ as the reason, the attendant changed her seat.
Indigo 6E 7297. Vijayawada (AP) to Hyderabad (Telangana), Sept 16-2022. The woman in green originally sitting in 2A (XL seat, exit row) was forced to seat 3C because she understood only Telugu, not English/Hindi. The attendant said it's a security issue. #discrimination @IndiGo6E pic.twitter.com/bHa8hQj5vz
— Devasmita Chakraverty, PhD, MPH (@DevasmitaTweets) September 17, 2022
Chakraverty was unhappy with the way the Hindi language was imposed on the woman.
“Flight from AP to Telangana has no instructions in Telugu, attendant said it’s a safety issue that she doesn’t understand English/Hindi. If unhappy, we (not she) should complain. No dignity, non-Hindi treated as second class citizens in their own state.”
Flight from AP to Telangana has no instructions in Telugu, attendant said it’s a safety issue that she doesn’t understand English/Hindi. If unhappy, we (not she) should complain. No dignity, non-Hindi treated as second class citizens in their own state #hindiimposition @dlrprasad
— Devasmita Chakraverty, PhD, MPH (@DevasmitaTweets) September 17, 2022
Suggesting safety instructions should be available in all languages, she tagged Union Minister for Civil Aviation and Steel, Jyotiraditya Scindia in another tweet and wrote:
“I am looking up to you to resolve this at a systemic level. As policy, s& used as per need, not just in English/Hindi. It’s a matter of safety, dignity, & treating everyone equally. Hope you’ll do the right thing.”
@JM_Scindia I am looking up to you to resolve this at a systemic level. As policy, safety instructions should be available in all language & used as per need, not just in English/Hindi. It’s a matter of safety, dignity, & treating everyone equally. Hope you’ll do the right thing.
— Devasmita Chakraverty, PhD, MPH (@DevasmitaTweets) September 17, 2022
Telangana Minister for IT and Industries K T Rama Rao saw her tweet and was quick to take the IndiGo management to task.
Dear @IndiGo6E Management, I request you to start respecting local languages & passengers who may not be well conversant in English or Hindi
In regional routes, recruit more staff who can speak the local language like Telugu, Tamil, Kannada etc. This will be a win-win solution https://t.co/GbJGi5nl0W
— KTR (@KTRTRS) September 18, 2022
Twitter was divided with people standing for and against her opinions. Some thought the crew member did so to ensure the passenger sitting at the emergency exit should be able to communicate with other passengers in case of an unforeseen situation.
if it safety issue they should’ve someone speaking Telugu instead of moving passengers. Airline management should know these basics that they are flying into a state where Hindi is not main language so they should employ at least one flight attendant who can speak local language
— Neelima 🇮🇳 (@NParavastu) September 18, 2022
The flight was between cities which are predominantly Telugu speaking. They should have had crew members who spoke Telugu to avoid such situations.
— अंशुल (@Ghair_Kanooni) September 18, 2022
This is so unacceptable and problematic at so many levels. It is appalling that the @IndiGo6E staff thought that they can openly discriminate non-Hindi speakers under the garb of “security”. ha!
— tannistha samanta (@tannistha14) September 17, 2022
You are contradicting yourself – was it “Security” or “Safety” issue?? (BTW, both are different).
Sitting at emergency exit seat demands SAFETY precaution.
I’m a Telugu speaking person and I take offence with your stand. It’s not language imposition but common sense. https://t.co/dITyBgX0T8 pic.twitter.com/hiEFvN9u64— Al-Bhagwa (@BeingBhagwa) September 18, 2022
While I am against Hindi imposition but here I don’t think it’s a discrimination issue. The crew needs to be able to communicate with those sitting in the emergency row in the unfortunate event of an emergency. Many times people are shifted if the crew feels they aren’t capable…
— Rohini Singh (@rohini_sgh) September 18, 2022
Sorry, but this is not discrimination. This is a safety feature.https://t.co/PqgvEIqjqk
— 🏴VagaBong🏳️ (@sandeeproy1) September 18, 2022
48% People in India speak Hindi! Its not about second class or third class, Its about if you’re able to communicate with either of the Bridge Languages.
— Manikant Upadhyay (@upadhyaymaniknt) September 18, 2022
Exit row seating is a security concern and rules about them are worldwide. Take your outrage to another seat.
— TheDude! (@ThisAndThatDude) September 18, 2022
I think this is a valid safety concern. I don’t think this is language imposition. Just a practical need of clear communication during an emergency
— Sushobhan Avasthi (@ProfSushobhan) September 17, 2022
Let’s keep the issue of languages when it is matter of life and death. We can fight about language when we are on the ground. The exit door should be operated by someone who understands the pilot’s language, not the language where the plane is flying.
— S (@Shuvrangshu5) September 17, 2022
It is a safety issue in case of emergency landing in water the crew will command evacuate evacuate evacuate and the responsible person sitting on the emergency row window side pax has to unplug the emergency door and throw it outside. Delay in this procedure can risk many lives.
— Sanchit Bajaj (@FlyingSpannerIN) September 18, 2022
Dear prof, how many languages does the students on your class speak. Incase of fire in the building of you deptt, what language will you be screaming the safety instructions in?
Please put yourself in the flight attendant’s shoe also. One aircraft don’t fly only one route/day.
— Junaid 🇮🇳 (@junaid_parvez) September 20, 2022
that specific seat and if they don’t have a particular language speaking crew member I can see why they would want someone else in that seat.
Ideally they should have had someone who could speak. But also the crew always asks the person in the exit row seat if they are capable
— Vasundhara Sirnate (@vsirnate) September 18, 2022
What do you think of this situation? Was it a language imposition issue or a safety concern?