In an incident of unruly behaviour that unfolded midair, a passenger forced another flyer to speak in Marathi if he wanted to stay in Mumbai. The incident, which was recorded on a mobile camera, happened on an Air India flight to Mumbai. A woman was seen repeatedly asking a co-passenger to speak in Marathi.
Mahi Khan, the passenger who the woman cornered inside the cabin midair to speak in Marathi and with no way out of the situation, shared his experience in a conversation with NDTV.
"I called the crew, but they didn't do much. Air India is yet to take any action on this passenger," he said. "We talk about unity in diversity. Why don't we actually have unity in reality?"
Khan said he has many Marathi friends, but none has ever forced him to speak in any particular language. "All languages have beauty if spoken with the right intent," he added.
Khan said it was a 6.25 am flight and he was awake by 4.30 am. After boarding and take-off, he said he wanted to recline the seat a little bit.
"... The moment I pressed the button and reclined my seat, a bottle which was on the tray of a woman behind my seat slipped and fell. She shouted at me in Marathi and I didn't understand," Khan said.
"I looked at her and said 'sorry ma'am'. She again said something in Marathi which I didn't understand. I asked her if she could tell me in Hindi or English so that I could respond. I had no idea if she was scolding me or telling me something," Khan said.
The matter escalated when the woman pointed out that he was flying to Mumbai but can't speak Marathi.
Khan, a YouTube influencer, also happened to have strong views on what he called "language wars". He even made a video on the whole issue six months ago.
"I had done a lot of research on this topic and the person started that thing [forced to speak Marathi] again... I picked up my phone and started recording. I asked her whether it was mandatory to speak in Marathi. She shouted at me, and said I am going to Mumbai and so I have to speak in Marathi," Khan said.
Soon, Khan said he called the crew for help, after which the woman allegedly threatened him with "showing what misbehaviour means" after landing in Mumbai.
"I didn't argue with her, despite her bad tone... the crew came and I explained the entire scenario to them... Is it mandatory to speak in Marathi in Air India? The crew said of course not. Then I asked why she is misbehaving with me. You will hear me say this in the video. She replied 'I will tell you in Marathi. Once you land in Mumbai, I will tell you," Khan told NDTV.
The YouTuber has been living in Mumbai for nearly four years. He said he has many Marathi friends.
"They have never behaved in that manner. They always talk in Hindi or English. Although there are certain moments when I have also tried to learn Marathi... If you tell somebody to learn your regional language, you have to say it in a welcoming tone. Only then people will start understanding your language. If you start forcing your language on others, people will start perceiving your language in a negative manner," Khan said.
"There's a Statue of Unity in India. Then why are we not talking about unity in reality? Why are we dividing each other? You're from Mumbai, you're from Lucknow, you're from Calcutta. This is what is happening and this is what a discrimination is," he told NDTV.
Maharashtra has in recent times seen several incidents of locals forcing people who came from outside the state to speak in Marathi. Some have been physically threatened and assaulted over the matter.
from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/9cgvSj4
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