Facing flak over a circular asking its nursing staff not to use Malayalam at work, the Delhi government-run G B Pant hospital on Sunday revoked the order and said strict action will be taken in the matter. “The circular which was issued by the Nursing Superintendent, G B Pant Hospital, without any instructions or knowledge of the hospital administration and the Delhi government stands withdrawn with immediate effect,” a new order issued by the Medical Director Dr Anil Agarwal read.

"The matter is being investigated and strict action will follow," Dr Agarwal told PTI. The circular issued on Saturday read, "A complaint has been received regarding Malayalam language being used for communication in working places in GIPMER. Whereas maximum patients and colleagues do not know this language and feel helpless causing a lot of inconvenience.” "So, it is directed to all nursing personnel to use only Hindi and English for communication. Otherwise, serious action will be taken," it had said. An official of the G B Pant nurses' association said around 850 nurses are working at the hospital, of which about 400 are Malayalis. The association's president, Liladhar Ramchandani, claimed the circular was issued based on a complaint sent by a patient to a senior officer in the health department regarding the use of Malayalam language at the hospital while adding that "the union disagrees with the wordings used in the circular".

The circular invited criticism from the medical fraternity, political leaders and the public. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called for stopping language discrimination. Party leader Shashi Tharoor said that the order was “unacceptable, crude, offensive and a violation of the basic human rights of Indian citizens”.

Last year, the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences had also issued an order advising staff that regional languages should not be spoken on its premises.

BJP slams Delhi govt

Slamming the Delhi government over a hospital circular that asked nursing staff not to speak in Malayalam at work, the BJP on Sunday said this was ironical that it requested Kerala for oxygen when in need it during the Covid crisis and has now attempted to snatch its peoples' right to speak in their language with each other.

With the Delhi government-run G B Pant hospital now revoking the order and promising strict action in the matter after a row erupted over its earlier circular, BJP spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said the "withdrawal in a haste clearly indicates we have an anarchist state government for whom the Constitution of India and its recognized language do not matter." He added, "It is an irony that when this government was in need of oxygen, the request was directed to Kerala and now comes their attempt to snatch their right to speak in Malayalam amongst each other." Globally, he said, the largest number of nurses come from Kerala, and they have served our country as frontline workers along with doctors and other paramedics.

They suffered casualties along too, Vadakkan said, adding that he was surprised at the "deafening silence" from the Kerala government on the matter.

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