Published: Feb 13, 2020, 04:27 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 13, 2020, 04:27 PM (IST)
Two commentators kicked up a row during the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy broadcast of the Karnataka vs Gujarat match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday after the duo started a discussion on the Hindi being ‘our mother tongue’ and ‘there is no bigger language than this’.
During the second over of the Baroda innings on day two of the match, the commentators – Rajinder Amarnath and Sushil Doshi – started discussing how Sunil Gavaskar is commentating in Hindi and even went to the extent of calling a dot ball, a ‘bindi‘ ball. Even though a bindi is a small coloured mark worn by women, particularly Hindu women.
The conversation then veered to the controversial territory when the one commentator proclaimed in Hindi that every Indian must know Hindi. This is our mother tongue. There is no bigger language than this. To that, his fellow commentator replied that he looks at those people with a lot of anger who say that ‘we are cricketers still we should talk in Hindi?’ You are staying in India then you will obviously speak its mother tongue.
Viewers picked up the conversation and started sharing the video clip of the match with the exact audio of the commentators saying the aforementioned bit.
Looking at the larger context of the match, which was happening in Karnataka between two state sides with none of the players coming from any hindi-speaking belt, social media was abuzz with activity, most of them bashing the commentators and even started a hashtag #StopHindiImposition.
Here are a few reactions:
Did this lunatic commentator just say “Every Indian should know Hindi” ? What on earth do you think you’re @BCCI ? Stop imposing Hindi and disseminating wrong messages. Kindly atone. Every Indian need not know Hindi #StopHindiImposition #RanjiTrophy #KARvBRD pic.twitter.com/thS57yyWJx
Ramachandra.M/ . (@nanuramu) February 13, 2020
Hey you idiots what the hell you’re blabbering in the commentary box, India is not equal to Hindi,have some commonsense while speaking,Hindi is not Rashtrabhasha,@BCCI should sack these clowms from the commentary panel,it’s an insult to non hindi speakers#stopHindiImposition https://t.co/YUq56zoMJH
Prashanth (@prashanthhr01) February 13, 2020
There is no national language for India, most of the states in India has their own language!! #stopHindiImposition https://t.co/Sa9VPh0rvi
Kavin Parameswaran (@Kavin_13111991) February 13, 2020
For the uninitiated, here you go again: India DOES NOT have a national language, and you can’t impose a language or a culture on anyone. If you still do have any doubts, read up on the Constitution and not lousy WhatsApp forwards #StopHindiImposition #RanjiTrophy #KARvBRD https://t.co/Iwv37kW1yA
Arun Venugopal (@scarletrun) February 13, 2020
Later on, one of the commentators apologised for his remarks.
