Bangalore Metro security man demands commuter to speak in Hindi

Around 5 pm, Prakash (full name withheld on request), was dashing inside the Metro Station to escape from the rain to take a train on September 15.

BENGALURU:A senior manager of an IT firm was put off over the “rude behaviour” of a private security staffer at the Lalbagh Metro Station over the latter’s demand that he converse to him only in Hindi.  
Apart from complaining to the ticketing staffer and customer care centre at the station, the commuter has also conveyed his displeasure to a top official of the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL).

Around 5 pm, Prakash (full name withheld on request), was dashing inside the Metro Station to escape from the rain to take a train on September 15. When he posed a query to a security staffer regarding the elevator there, the staffer ordered him to speak in Hindi.

Prakash told Express, “Brandishing his ‘lathi’ and hitting it on his own left hand, he asked me if I knew Hindi. He then told me to learn Hindi.” A globetrotter, Prakash is a multi linguist. “It’s okay if the staffer does not know Kannada, but he needs to put it across politely. I am fluent in Hindi but ordering me to speak in the language of his choice and telling me to learn it is not okay,” he pointed out.

On Saturday night, he tweeted to BMRCL Public Relations Officer U A Vasanth Rao: Can the BMRCL Security guards be polite & courteous to people? Just because I spoke in kannada - it does not mean he has to abuse and threaten me...”

In a second tweet,  Prakash said: Have made a verbal complaint to Ticketing Staff & Customer Care person on Security guard abusive behaviour for speaking in kannada this evening. Security guard does not speak kannada or allows anyone to speak in Kannada at Metro. Is it right thing at Karnataka?”
Asked about the incident, the CPRO said, “I am not aware of it. I will enquire and get back.”

The issue of security staffers and customer care employees responding in Hindi to the queries from commuters in Metro station had become a contentious issue a year ago. BMRCL later posted Kannada-speaking staffers in all stations.

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The New Indian Express
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