‘You must be learning Hindi’: Woman taunts Kolkata Metro travellers for speaking in Bengali; watch viral video

A woman was spotted having a heated verbal exchange with Kolkata Metro travellers for speaking in the local language, Bengali, according to a social media post on X. The video shows the woman asking other travellers to speak in Hindi, stating that West Bengal is a part of India and people must learn Hindi. 

The woman in question also said that the travellers were not in the neighbouring country Bangladesh, stressing that they were currently in India. 

“You are not in Bangladesh, you are in India. West Bengal is a part of India, you must be learning Hindi,” said the woman featured in the video shared by Abhinaba Pal on Thursday, November 19. 

“You know how to speak Bengali, but you don’t know how to speak English even after residing in India?” she said. Another female, the one recording the video, responded sharply, saying, “I live in West Bengal and not your land,” highlighting that she was disappointed that someone was offending her in her home state.

The Metro is not yours, West Bengal is not yours, said the woman mocking the female traveller. 

During the language battle, the person recording the video pointed out that “West Bengal is mine, the metro is mine, it is developed from a share of my tax payments and not your money”, after getting called a Bangladeshi by the woman.

On the topic of the national language of India, the mocking woman said, “What’s the language of India? Hindi.” She even threatened to file a case against the female recording to video.

“I’ll file a case against her, I’ll sue her. She is recording me without my permission,” she said.

Pal also shared another video of a man saying that if someone needs to speak Bengali, they should go to Bangladesh instead. This brought forward the topic of India not having a national language. 

Netizens React

Sharing both videos on social media, Pal highlighted that Hindi is not the national language of India and that there is no single language which can be considered as one; he also requested the mockery of languages to stop.

“Hindi is not our national language. For the matter of fact there is no designated national language of India. This false notion and mockery of other languages should stop (sic),” said Pal.

Others like Tathagoto highlighted that the Eastern state has been tolerant for many years, and now it’s the time for a “Maharashtra style treatment.” 

“This is why every immigrant from other state should be made to learn language of the domicile state mandatorily. Bengal has been tolerant of these people from the north even when they have for years openly taunted the locals and refused to learn the local language. A Maharashtra style treatment is much needed to deal with these hoodlums,” he said in response to the same video shared on the social media platform Instagram. 

Others like Vivek responded to the video claiming that this mindset is similar to that of Jinha and Zulfiqar Bhutto of Pakistan.

“This lady has the same mindset of Jinha & Zulfiqar Bhutto of Pakistan, which resulted in the creation of Pakistan. Why should Bengali/Tamilian/Punjabi have to stop talking in their state when any Hindiwalas come to their state? Those states are contributing more to India than Hindivalas,” said Vivek responding to Pal’s post.