LIC blames technical glitch after its website turns all-Hindi
The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) is facing backlash for making Hindi the default language on its website. The move triggered criticism, especially in Tamil Nadu, with political leaders and citizens raising their voices against alleged imposition of Hindi. The matter has been worsened by the fact that the option to switch languages is also displayed in Hindi, posing a hurdle for non-Hindi speakers. Responding to criticism, LIC released a statement blaming a technical glitch for the issue.
LIC responds to controversy
Describing the reason behind the glitch, LIC said, "Our Corporate website licindia.in was not shuffling language pages due to some technical problem. The issue has been resolved, and the website is now available in both English and Hindi."
Stalin accuses LIC of promoting Hindi imposition
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has accused LIC of turning into a "propaganda tool for Hindi imposition." Highlighting the effect on India's linguistic diversity, Stalin said, "LIC grew with the patronage of all Indians. How dare it betray the majority of its contributors?" Stalin demanded an immediate reversal of this policy, which he called "linguistic tyranny."
Other political leaders join in condemning LIC's language policy
Echoing his father's sentiments, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin said, "The Union Government has not yet understood that anything, including Hindi, cannot be developed by forcefully imposing it. Authoritarianism will not last long." AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) also slammed the move as a deliberate act of Hindi imposition. In a social media post, he called it an act that disrupts the country's balance and is unacceptable.
Tamil Nadu's history of anti-Hindi sentiment
Notably, Tamil Nadu has a history of anti-Hindi sentiment. The massive protests against Hindi imposition in the 1960s had catapulted Stalin's party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), to power. The then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had assured that English would continue as an associate official language, until non-Hindi speaking states wanted it.
