IndiGo Crew Changes Passenger's Seat For Not Knowing English Or Hindi
According to IndiGo, as part of the safety protocol, the passenger sitting on the exit doors needs to be able to operate the exit door and to assist the crew in managing any unforeseen emergency situation.
Anyone who has travelled via flight would know the importance of the exit door. Not only does one near the exit door have to handle the situation during an emergency, but one should know how to communicate with everyone during those difficult times.
IndiGo crew changes passenger's seat for not knowing Hindi or English
So, considering the same, a woman who was flying via an IndiGo flight was allegedly made to change seats from her original seat in the row next to the emergency exit. The reason? because the woman only spoke Telugu and not English or Hindi to communicate with everyone.
This incident occurred on September 17th and it came to light when it was shared on social media. The incident was shared by an IIM-Ahmedabad assistant professor named Devasmita Chakraverty. She shared the picture of the passenger and added a caption along with it which read, ¡°A woman¡.was forced to seat 3C because she understood only Telugu, not English/Hindi. The attendant said it's a security issue (sic).¡±
Check out the post here:
Indigo 6E 7297. Vijayawada (AP) to Hyderabad (Telangana), Sept 16-2022. The woman in green originally sitting in 2A (XL seat, exit row) was forced to seat 3C because she understood only Telugu, not English/Hindi. The attendant said it's a security issue. #discrimination @IndiGo6E pic.twitter.com/bHa8hQj5vz
¡ª Devasmita Chakraverty, PhD, MPH (@DevasmitaTweets) September 17, 2022
The said tweet prompted a lot of reactions. Many discussed language barriers and how flight attendants should give safety guidelines in regional languages as well. Even though many social media users condemned the airline crew and called their actions disrespectful, others pointed out that those sitting in the emergency exit rows have more responsibilities in case of emergencies, and that it requires clear communication with the crew.
Sorry, but this is not discrimination. This is a safety feature.https://t.co/PqgvEIqjqk
¡ª ?VagaBong?? (@sandeeproy1) September 18, 2022
While I am against Hindi imposition but here I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a discrimination issue. The crew needs to be able to communicate with those sitting in the emergency row in the unfortunate event of an emergency. Many times people are shifted if the crew feels they aren¡¯t capable¡
¡ª Rohini Singh (@rohini_sgh) September 18, 2022
The solution is really simple. Emirates and other international airlines do it. @IndiGo6E doesn't. The flight attendant wouldn't even understand why this was discrimination. Not a single Telugu-speaking crew or recording. I'm sure the person had paid extra for an XL seat.
¡ª Devasmita Chakraverty, PhD, MPH (@DevasmitaTweets) September 17, 2022
Telangana IT Minister KT Rama Rao also called for flight services to employ cabin crew who speak local languages. He wrote, "Dear @IndiGo6E Management, I request you to start respecting local languages & passengers who may not be well conversant in English or Hindi. On regional routes, recruit more staff who can speak the local language, like Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, etc. This will be a win-win solution. "
Dear @IndiGo6E Management, I request you to start respecting local languages & passengers who may not be well conversant in English or Hindi
¡ª KTR (@KTRTRS) September 18, 2022
In regional routes, recruit more staff who can speak the local language like Telugu, Tamil, Kannada etc. This will be a win-win solution https://t.co/GbJGi5nl0W
IndiGo issued a statement after the backlash
After the backlash, IndiGo responded with a statement. In the statement issued on Sunday, IndiGo said it is an inclusive organisation that respects regional diversity and serves the nation without any bias or prejudice in all respects.
"We employ crew from all regions and they speak different languages that are an integral part of the diversity of our vast country. Our crew, as a standard operating procedure, makes announcements informing our customers of the languages the crew can speak and understand on that particular flight," the airline said.
It also clarified how the passengers need to voluntarily be on standby for any emergency situations that may take place. The statement clarified that it is important to be aware while sitting near the exit doors.
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Building, coordinating and crafting engaging content for lifestyle brand 'Evolve' at Indiatimes. Successfully revamping the lifestyle section including topics such as mental health, relationships, self, skin care, music etc. I collaborate with experts from various fields to gather insights and create well-structured pieces.
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