Keralam Women MLAs Walk Out Of NCW Workshop Over Hindi-only Sessions

A group of women MLAs from Keralam walked out of an NCW workshop on Tuesday before its conclusion, protesting that the programme was conducted largely in Hindi, which they found difficult to follow.

A two-day capacity-building workshop for women legislators was organised by the National Commission for Women in Faridabad.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla inaugurated the workshop on Monday.

The women legislators from Keralam alleged that conducting the programme in Hindi made it difficult for participants from non-Hindi-speaking states to understand and follow the sessions.

"We attended the programme expecting that, as legislators, we would get some new suggestions and practical guidance on how to effectively participate in legislative proceedings," Deputy Speaker Shanimol Osman said.

Besides Osman, the women representatives from Keralam were Ministers Bindhu Krishna and K A Thulasi, and MLAs K K Rema, Fathima Thahliya, Vidya Balakrishnan and Usha Vijayan.

The sessions were conducted entirely in Hindi, Osman said, adding that participants from Keralam could not understand the language.

"Normally, when national-level conferences are held, considering that India is a diverse country, some arrangements are made to accommodate participants from South India and the Northeast. But here, there was no such arrangement," she told reporters in New Delhi.

There was no immediate reaction from the NCW to their allegations.

Speaking to PTI, Fathima Thahliya said there was little scope for interaction as the programme proceeded through a series of classes without even an open-house discussion.

"When they continued with similar sessions again on Wednesday morning, we raised some doubts and concerns," the legislator said.

Hindi Row

The Keralam legislators alleged that the National Commission for Women Chairperson maintained silence despite the protests.

"The problem is not the Hindi language. Rather, the commission did not take steps to include all MLAs at the national level," a legislator said.

The MLAs alleged that an MLA from a Hindi-speaking state challenged them, saying that if they did not know Hindi, she could teach them.

They alleged that some MLAs from North India shouted that Hindi was the national language and that discussions would be held only in Hindi. They said that slogans such as "Jai Shri Ram" and "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" were later raised in the hall.

Following this, the Keralam members walked out of the programme just ahead of a session and the concluding ceremony, they said.