A workshop by the National Commission for Women appears to have become the latest epicentre of a blazing language row. Three days after women legislators from Kerala boycotted a capacity-building workshop on “gender responsive governance for women legislators” to protest the exclusive use of Hindi for the programme, Chief Minister V D Satheesan has accused the Centre of “forcing Hindi at a national conclave and intimidating delegates from non-Hindi speaking states strikes at the core of our constitutional compact”.

The two-day workshop, held on September 7 and 8 at Taj Surajkund Resort, Faridabad, sparked a row after eight UDF legislators walked out. Taking to X, Satheesan condemned “the treatment meted out to Keralam’s delegation of women MLAs at the NCW workshop”.

“Forcing Hindi at a national conclave and intimidating delegates from non-Hindi-speaking states strikes at the core of our constitutional compact. Our founding fathers envisioned an India whose strength would come not from uniformity, but from the unity of its diversity, a Union where different languages, cultures and identities enrich, rather than diminish, the national fabric. India is a Union of diverse linguistic traditions, not a monolithic entity. Mutual respect, accommodation and constitutional equality not linguistic imposition must define our national forums. Our diversity is not a challenge to Indian unity. It is the very foundation of it,” Satheesan said.

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He was referring to the NCW’s two-day workshop on “gender responsive governance for women legislators” under its ‘She is a Changemaker’ initiative in Faridabad, Delhi NCR. The programme saw over 100 women legislators from across the country.

Bindhu Krishna, Kerala’s Minister for Labour, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, Milk Co-operatives, Women & Child Development, said the NCW programme could have been held at the BJP office.

‘Nobody listened’

“Why was all this done from the Women’s Commission’s platform?” Krishna said. She added that the Kerala leaders came with hopes that the NCW workshop in Surajkund, Faridabad, would offer more information, ideas, and guidance on making better laws. “Just before the function, we were invited to sit on the dais but were not allowed to speak. All sessions were in Hindi. As we are from South India, we requested that English also be used so we could understand, but nobody listened.”

The NCW chairperson promised to look into the issue, but nothing happened, the minister alleged.

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“On the second day, deputy speaker and another Congress legislator, Shanimol Usman, seized the mike while a session was going on in Hindi,” she said.

“I also intervened and questioned the way the workshop was being conducted. We were not insisting that there should be translations. At least they could have conducted the sessions in English. When I sought the stand of the commission on the Women Reservation Bill passed by Parliament, there was no response. Instead, women legislators raised the slogan ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’. Hence, eight UDF legislators decided to boycott the session. Raising the slogan ‘uphold the Constitution’, we quit the venue,” she said, adding that several legislators from non-Hindi-speaking states also raised objections.

The NCW has yet to respond to the row.