After telling nurses not to speak in Malayalam, Delhi’s GB Pant hospital withdraws its circular

NEW DELHI: After barring the use of the Malayalam language, Delhi’s Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (GIPMER) had to withdraw its controversial circular.

This comes after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Congress Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor called the circular “unacceptable”.

Delhi Health Department also issued a memo to the hospital after receiving a complaint against the use of the Malayalam language.

'Union disagrees with the wordings used in the circular'

GIPMER had directed all its nursing personnel to use only Hindi and English for communication and said “serious actions” would be taken against anyone found speaking in other languages.

Many nurses working at various hospitals across the country come from Kerala and the circular has drawn sharp criticism from other nursing unions too.

G B Pant nurses' association president Liladhar Ramchandani said that a complaint was sent by a patient to a senior officer in the health department over the use of the Malayalam language at the hospital and said that the union disagrees with the wordings used in the circular.

Govind Ballabh Pant HospitalRahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor called the circular 'unacceptable' KEY HIGHLIGHTSGB Pant hospital had directed all its nursing personnel to use only Hindi and English for communication'Malayalam is as Indian as any other Indian language. Stop language discrimination 'Delhi Health Department issues memo.

New Delhi: After barring the use of the Malayalam language, Delhi’s Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (GIPMER) had to withdraw its controversial circular.

This comes after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Congress Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor called the circular “unacceptable”.

Delhi Health Department also issued a memo to the hospital after receiving a complaint against the use of the Malayalam language.

'Union disagrees with the wordings used in the circular'

GIPMER had directed all its nursing personnel to use only Hindi and English for communication and said “serious actions” would be taken against anyone found speaking in other languages.

Many nurses working at various hospitals across the country come from Kerala and the circular has drawn sharp criticism from other nursing unions too.

G B Pant nurses' association president Liladhar Ramchandani said that a complaint was sent by a patient to a senior officer in the health department over the use of the Malayalam language at the hospital and said that the union disagrees with the wordings used in the circular.

Commenting on the matter, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, "Malayalam is as Indian as any other Indian language. Stop language discrimination!"

Congress MP KC Venugopal in a letter to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan called for an immediate withdrawal of the "bizarre" and "unconstitutional" circular issued by the authorities of GIPMER.

'Withdraw the bizarre & unconstitutional circular'

"I urge Hon'ble health Minister @drharshvardhan to order an immediate withdrawal of the bizarre & unconstitutional circular issued by the authorities of GIPMER," Venugopal tweeted.

Congress Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor termed the circular a violation of the basic human rights of Indian citizens.

"It boggles the mind that in democratic India a government institution can tell its nurses not to speak in their mother tongue to others who understand them. This is unacceptable, crude, offensive and a violation of the basic human rights of Indian citizens. A reprimand is overdue," Tharoor tweeted.