Malayalam Banned?

[G Vishwanath]

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Two nurses were caught speaking to each other in Malayalam in the lift, outside duty hours
The hospital has a rule that only English should be spoken within the premises.
The nurses were dismissed.
The language is immaterial. It could have been Tamil too.
What do you feel?
Any comments?
For details see this link.
http://in.news.yahoo.com/48/20090526/804/tnl-caught-speaking-malayalam-apollo-nur.html
Regards
G Vishwanath

 

[[email protected]]

The Apollo Group Hospital and its Nurses Training College mostly engarge the Malayalam speacking converted chirsting young girls only. I have personnely witnested that they will speake there mother tongu only every were, The management put this girls because low salary and this girls will work any enviorment contions. So the Management should not put contions on languages.S.R.K.

 

[sapr333]

Malayalam as a language, if fine.. But trust me, thats used in line with racism many a times.

As a person who can even read/ speak Malayalam fluently,I can say confidently,Malayalees/Bongs, use it as a tool to feed their identity crisis.(no personal attacks pls)

In my view, what Apollo did is right!.. I have experience the sarcastic comments made by Mals in between, when encountered by a Non-Mal... I just expressed my view in nutshell, but if I were to write an essay, im sure , I can prove my point.

PS: Dont consider me as a biased person.... This issue is nothing but lack of Etiquettes.

 

[KRS]

In the USA, such a behaviour is protected by the Constitution - I am afraid an organization here can not interfere with the personal communications with two people. However, depending on the country such personal expressions, if interfered with work/policy have been selectively barred. For example, sikhs wearing turbans in certain jobs or burqua wearing in schools.

In this case it is strange that a hospital would fire the nurses for talking between themselves - I can see this if one of them was talking with a patient or clients, contrary to the English only policy.

I am wondering whether there is more to this, e.g., these nurses were warned before, having been caught at conversing in Malayalam with others.

KRS

 

[s007bala]

re

Two nurses were caught speaking to each other in Malayalam in the lift, outside duty hours
The hospital has a rule that only English should be spoken within the premises.
The nurses were dismissed.
The language is immaterial. It could have been Tamil too.
What do you feel?
Any comments?
For details see this link.
http://in.news.yahoo.com/48/20090526/804/tnl-caught-speaking-malayalam-apollo-nur.html
Regards
G Vishwanath

GV

its total nonsense to dismiss the nurses on account of language communication amongst the nurses.Malayalam is one of the indian languages.the nurses have done no harm to any patients by speaking in malayalam.how dare they dismiss them?

sb

 

[sapr333]

There are many English Medium schools, which punishes the students for speaking in Non-English even during lunch hours. Its very common, and I have seen many a parents feeling proud about that kind of schools.

When business organisations could instill dress code for its employess, I dont find anything wrong in having one for language too.

I have personally experienced that nurses, sharing funny/acrid comments about the Patients openly, just because the patients d'ont understand that language.


PS: Bala, Im not supporting English here.. My point is all about a common language for communication,which doesnt alienate the patient.

CLIP:-
Is it proper to speak a foreign language at work when others don’t
understand?

Here is where we need some "give and take." People conversing in another
language need to be aware of others and respectful of their feelings. Don't ignore
those around you, but acknowledge their presence and include them in the
conversation if you can.

If you're on the "outside" of such a conversation, you also need to show respect
and communicate clearly. Don't assume they're talking about you or trying to hide
something or purposely "being rude." Its all about "office language etiquette."

 

[s007bala]

re

There are many English Medium schools, which punishes the students for speaking in Non-English even during lunch hours. Its very common, and I have seen many a parents feeling proud about that kind of schools.

When business organisations could instill dress code for its employess, I dont find anything wrong in having one for language too.

I have personally experienced that nurses, sharing funny/acrid comments about the Patients openly, just because the patients d'ont understand that language.


PS: Bala, Im not supporting English here.. My point is all about a common language for communication,which doesnt alienate the patient.

sappy

nurses communicated within themselves.Not with patients in malayalam.does not make any sense with this hitler-ian rule.next people will be asked to speak read,write only in french in pondicherry=what gasbags these hospital corporations have become!!!

sb

 

[G Vishwanath]

Interesting views.
Sapr333: Please write your blog and give your views. I look forward to reading them.
Be aware that Mallus all over the world will retaliate and you must be prepared for the Malayalee Backlash. The Bongs will join them. Mallus and Bongs are in some ways kindred souls. Fish/Football and Cigarettes/Communisim are other things that unite them apart from their passionate love for their language which they believe are the sweetest tongues in the world.

These linguistic grops are supposedly notorious for immediately switching over to their respective tongues when sighting a fellow native speaker in a group with no consideration for the rest of those present.

Prakash Karat (a Malayalee) and Brinda (a Bengalee) are a cosy couple. One thing of interest I noted in the news item. The nursing superintendent who reported these nurses was a Bengalee! So much for Keralite/Bangali unity!

KRS: I am inclined to agree. I think there is more to this than merely talking in Malayalam. May be there are other issues about which we are not aware and the hospital is using this as a convenient way to punish these two nurses since they could not do it earlier for their other transgressions. But some lawyers may see a juicy opportunity here and I can imagine them licking their lips in anticipation. I forsee some more work for our harried judges in the near future.
Some political parties too can see an opportunity in this for kicking up some dust.

Sapr33: Yes, Some English medium schools also have this rule. They will claim that they do this to encourage students to gain proficiency in the language and not necessarily to belittle the regional languages.

s007Bala: It can also be argued that an organisation has the right to have some rules of its own. When a uniform is compulsory and you can't come wearing anything you like, and this is not being objected to, I wonder if any one can object to the hospital having a language rule too within its premises. But I do feel that exceptions can be made as in this case. What about talking to cleaners and class IV staff ? Some of them may not understand English and if a Doctor or nurse instructs them in the regional language for better communication, can they also be similarly hauled up? The situation can get comic too. What about a doctor being chauffered? He can talk in the regional language to the driver but as soon as the car enters the hospital premises, must he switch over to English? What if a doctor or nurse, while inside the premises, gets a phone call from some one speaking a regional language? Must the staff answer only in English? What if the patient does not know English? Must you still talk in English? You can argue both ways.

Any more views?
Thanks to all for responding.
Regards
G Vishwanath

 

[Irreligious_One]

Malayalam as a language, if fine.. But trust me, thats used in line with racism many a times.

As a person who can even read/ speak Malayalam fluently,I can say confidently,Malayalees/Bongs, use it as a tool to feed their identity crisis.(no personal attacks pls)

In my view, what Apollo did is right!.. I have experience the sarcastic comments made by Mals in between, when encountered by a Non-Mal... I just expressed my view in nutshell, but if I were to write an essay, im sure , I can prove my point.

PS: Dont consider me as a biased person.... This issue is nothing but lack of Etiquettes.

a. You do express what is called "REVERSE DISCRIMINATION" based on a perceived notion that a few assorted Malayalis talk behind their backs about Tamils and using that to justify what Apollo did. Therefore, YOUR STANCE HERE IS BIASED. Whether you're a biased person in general, or not is not for me to judge.

b. Personally, I don't think Bengalis (sorry...BONGS is a discriminatory term. The sooner you learn it, the better) and Malayalis use their language because of their insecurity/identity crisis. Your ability to speak and read Malayalam doesn't give you the authority to justify your pontification (Argument from authority= Logical fallacy). It could be that they're proud of their ethnicity, and language is a very vital part of ethnic identity in India. As Tamilians, we know how other Tamilians feel about our mother tongue. We should be the last to take someone else to task about "using their language" (whatever that means).

c. Lack of etiquette, you say? Since when did we consider SPEAKING ENGLISH as a sign of etiquette? If they were speaking in Malayalam in a conversational group where other people didn't know the language, then yes they lacked etiquette. They were speaking amongst themselves, and some busybody,who happened to be their superior and not part of the conversation anyway, overheard and reported them.

d. That said, this issue has NOTHING to do with etiquette. This is about any existing rules, and if the nurses broke them. As is evident from the newspiece, Apollo had no MANDATORY REQUIREMENT to speak English within the premises. "Speaking English is encouraged..." is NOT A RULE! Therefore the authorities had no valid reason to coerce two nurses into resignation and what transpired was unconstitutional...PERIOD! They ought to be sued for discrimination.

 

[s007bala]

IO

i agree with your course of action.

sb

 

[sapr333]

11>>> (sorry...BONGS is a discriminatory term. The sooner you learn it, the better) and Malayalis use their language because of their insecurity/identity crisis.

22>>>. Lack of etiquette, you say? Since when did we consider SPEAKING ENGLISH as a sign of etiquette? If they were speaking in Malayalam in a conversational group where other people didn't know the language, then yes they lacked etiquette. They were speaking amongst themselves, and some busybody,who happened to be their superior and not part of the conversation anyway, overheard and reported them.>>>

d. That said, this issue has NOTHING to do with etiquette. .

11)) I thought TAM,MAL,BONG are simplified verbatim. No bad intentions though!.. If its a discriminatory term, I stand corrected.

22)) I never said, speaking English as a sign of Etiquette...I just said foreign (Non-understandable) language.. The appended clip on post #6 is repasted below..

Is it proper to speak a foreign language at work when others don’t
understand?

Here is where we need some "give and take." People conversing in another
language need to be aware of others and respectful of their feelings. Don't ignore
those around you, but acknowledge their presence and include them in the
conversation if you can.

If you're on the "outside" of such a conversation, you also need to show respect
and communicate clearly. Don't assume they're talking about you or trying to hide
something or purposely "being rude." Its all about "office language etiquette.

 

[tbs]

11)) I thought TAM,MAL,BONG are simplified verbatim. No bad intentions though!.. If its a discriminatory term, I stand corrected.

22)) I never said, speaking English as a sign of Etiquette...I just said foreign (Non-understandable) language.. The appended clip on post #6 is repasted below..

Is it proper to speak a foreign language at work when others don’t
understand?

Here is where we need some "give and take." People conversing in another
language need to be aware of others and respectful of their feelings. Don't ignore
those around you, but acknowledge their presence and include them in the
conversation if you can.

If you're on the "outside" of such a conversation, you also need to show respect
and communicate clearly. Don't assume they're talking about you or trying to hide
something or purposely "being rude." Its all about "office language etiquette.

hi all,
many indians does not speak our national language..........in USA being
a english speaking country.... many speak spanish only....even they
never tried english and still surviving.....we have only ego and
superiority conplex...its the basic problem...

regards

 

[Irreligious_One]

11)) I thought TAM,MAL,BONG are simplified verbatim. No bad intentions though!.. If its a discriminatory term, I stand corrected.[\quote]

It differs from person to person. I know a Malayali girl from Bangalore who introduced herself as "Mallu." Maybe she was okay with it, but I cannot assume every Malayali would be. As for "Bongs", well having interacted with many Bengalis, I know they don't take kindly to this term. BTW, in USA, a "bong" is a term used for the device that is used for smoking marijuana

Here is where we need some "give and take." People conversing in another language need to be aware of others and respectful of their feelings. Don't ignore those around you, but acknowledge their presence and include them in the conversation if you can.[\QUOTE]

Let's look at this strictly from an ETIQUETTE perspective:

You came to my workplace and enter the elevator and find me and my friend talking to my friend in French. I don't want to involve you in my conversation because:

a. I don't even know who you are
b. I am not talking about you
c. I don't want you in my conversation

If you took offense, then...boy, you must be so sensitive. Sorry, but I am not giving up my basic freedom for such asinine notions of etiquette.

Don't assume they're talking about you or trying to hide something or purposely "being rude."

Vis-a-vis, mind your own business and stop concocting delusional feelings of insecurity when you encounter such a situation.

Jeez...is there anything called personal freedom anymore?


Enough about etiquette. The whole topic was about two people getting fired for a reason that has no precedent. The entire thing hinged on:
WAS THERE AN EXISTING RULE ON SPEAKING ENGLISH ONLY?

Evidently, there wasn't one, as per the report. Therefore what Apollo hospital did was constitutionally wrong. End of discussion.

 

[s007bala]

re

While working in India,i had a predominantly punjabi community as coleagues.Boy were they all the time talking talking in punjabi even though i could never understand it,and when my tamil coleagues were around we used happily speak in tamil.Immdly all these punjus would say,bad manners and what not, cooly forgetting what they all did,all the time speaking in punjabi.I think Apollo hospital is mad to suspend those mallu nurses.I still think its ok to converse in your mother tongue when others are not around.English speak only english.French speak only french.Germans speak only german....only in India all nonsensical and bizarre rule applies.

sb