BHUBANESWAR : The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the Union secretary of Ministry of Civil Aviation to examine the use of local vernacular languages in the flights flying to or from a particular state.
Considering the petition filed by lawyer and human rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy, the apex human rights panel has sought for an action taken report within a period of 15 days.
The petitioner brought to the notice of the NHRC the difficulties faced by the people who do not know English and Hindi. There are many senior citizens who cannot speak or understand English and Hindi. Moreover, there are language-related laws in states like Odisha for maximum use of the vernacular language in official documents, he said.
Tripathy had demanded the inclusion of local vernacular languages, including Odia, in flight announcements, safety instructions, and general communication within the aviation industry in the country.
The complainant had also brought out the difficulties faced by passengers who are not fluent in English or Hindi, particularly from the rural areas. This exclusion (non-availability of announcement in vernacular languages) violates their right to access information as guaranteed by the Constitution, he pointed out.
Stating that the allegations levelled in the complaint are serious violations of the human rights of the air passengers, the NHRC has directed to look into the matter and come out with a solution at the earliest.