In recent times, discrimination on the basis of the language a person speaks has become a growing issue which is prevalent all around the world. From public places to workplaces, people are being judged and even targeted for not speaking the preferred language of that particular area or setup. Many cases displaying language-based discrimination are making headlines, the immigrant population has become one of the biggest victims, as they are living in a foreign land with a foreign language, and many times would prefer to talk in their native tongue with their fellow native people. A similar event recently took place at London’s Heathrow Airport, where people belonging to the Indian diaspora were targeted for speaking Hindi.
A British woman was upset over staff speaking Hindi at Heathrow
Lucy White, a British woman who calls herself a Public Policy Specialist, visited a Marks and Spencer store in Terminal 3 of London’s Heathrow Airport. There she overheard three staff members speaking in a language she didn’t understand. When she asked them, they told her it was Hindi, one of the most spoken languages in the world and widely used in India. Ideally, which shouldn’t have been an event worth mentioning, sparked an immense online debate when Lucy decided to post about it online.
Lucy White recorded the staff and, in a tweet, shared she was planning to report them
Instead of ignoring the conversation and going about her work, Lucy chose to record the staff and even took their names. She posted about the whole interaction on X (formerly Twitter), saying she was planning to report the incident to Marks and Spencer. She wrote that people speaking any other language must be confronted every time. Many users found her tweet disturbing and accusatory, as if speaking one’s mother tongue is a crime. Her post quickly went viral, sparking a heated debate online.
Netizens reacted strongly to Lucy White’s tweet
Lucy’s actions received widespread criticism on social media. Most users called her comments xenophobic, racist and unnecessary. One user sarcastically commented, “Typing ‘I’m a little bit racist’ would’ve been easier.” Others pointed out that speaking in one’s native language among colleagues is normal and definitely not a crime, especially in an international hub like Heathrow, where people from around the world work.
Some netizens tried to defend, Lucy White, but the majority disagreed
While a few people supported Lucy, saying it felt ‘alienating’ to hear a different language in a British store, most of the people online disagreed. They argued that as long as staff communicate in English with the customers, their private conversations should not be policed, and in fact, it was an invasion of their privacy and a violation of their fundamental rights to tell them which language they can speak privately. Some users even shared their own experiences of working in multilingual teams without ever having any issues.
The incident sparked a bigger debate on workplace diversity and inclusivity
The event has started a wider conversation about language rights in multicultural workplaces. Heathrow Airport is an international hub, and it is known for its diversity, as people from all over the world commute from there and work there. Many feel that trying to control what language staff speak privately goes against the values of a global city like London, where people from around the world reside. While Marks and Spencer or any other authority has yet to react to this incident, Lucy has faced a strong wave of online criticism and for now her tweets are not visible to public.
What are your thoughts about the incident? Was what Lucy White did acceptable or not?
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