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Ex-Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai slams ‘excessive use of Hindi’ in central government communication: ‘Please do not impose’

Ex-Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai called the “excessive use of Hindi” in central government communication “wrong.” He further tagged PM Modi, Amit Shah in his X post.

Published on: Nov 7, 2024, 11:05:31 IST
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Ex-Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai, reacting to an X share by MP John Brittas, slammed the central government for “excessive use of Hindi” as a language of communication. He called the situation “worrisome” and “wrong.”

Ex-Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai’s post on "excessive use of Hindi" in central government communication has divided the internet. (Abhijit Bhatlekar/ Mint)
Ex-Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai’s post on "excessive use of Hindi" in central government communication has divided the internet. (Abhijit Bhatlekar/ Mint)

What did John Brittas share?

Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP John Brittas shared how he responded to Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ravneet Bittu in Malayalam after receiving a communication from him in Hindi.

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“It has been a norm and precedent that letters addressed from Union Govt to south MPs are written in English. Lately however that's not the case, and @RavneetBittu makes it a point to write exclusively in Hindi. Am compelled to reply him in Malayalam!” Brittas wrote, tagging Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in his post.

What did Mohandas Pai say?

Reposting the MP’s X post, the industry leader wrote, “Agree this excessive use Of Hindi in central govt communication is wrong and worrisome.” In his post, he tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah.

“Citizens are entitled to a reply in their native language or in English, not always Hindi. I know Hindi but oppose govt giving me a reply only in Hindi. Pl do not impose any one language on citizens,” he added.

Take a look at the post here:

What did social media say?

Boregowda Shivaraj, a senior fellow at Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), wrote, “English shall be the official language of the union government is clearly written in the constitution.” Forensic auditor Vivek Shah asked, “In which language did he write the letter, was it in English?”

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An individual suggested, “Always reply back in your language if you get government memos in Hindi. Same goes for state govt memos.” A fourth commented, “No, it is not wrong.”

About Mohandas Pai:

A Padma Shri Awardee, he co-founded Akshaya Patra, “the world's largest school meal program for students.” The former CFO and Board Member at Infosys is now the chairman at Aarin Capital.

As per his LinkedIn, he has “served on the Boards of SEBI, the National Stock Exchange, the Manipal Group, and many other institutions. He has served on several regulatory and consultative committees, including the Primary Markets Committee of SEBI, several IITs, and the CAFRAL of the RBI. He is currently on the board of Havells.”

  • Trisha Sengupta
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Trisha Sengupta

    Trisha Sengupta is a Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of digital newsroom experience. Specialising in high-engagement storytelling, she blends viral trends with traditional journalism to cover the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. Her reporting spans real estate and personal finance struggles in hubs like Bengaluru and Gurgaon, the NRI experience, and corporate shifts like tech layoffs. Trisha also frequently tracks global figures and writes human interest stories. Offline, Trisha is an avid reader, history enthusiast and solo traveler. She balances her journalism career with family life while actively integrating AI tools into her modern storytelling approach.Read More