In Tamil Nadu, there exists a certain animosity towards migrant workers from North India, except from those who hire them for lower wages. I have spent a lot of time reflecting on this issue, yet no clear answer emerges. Why does this hatred exist? Is it rooted in the long standing resistance to the imposition of Hindi by the central government?, Has this led to a general distaste for the language and those who speak it? Or is there something deeper at play?
These migrant workers leave behind their families and homes to find work here, often because they lack formal education or because job availability is low in relation to their region’s population. The reasons for their migration are varied, but it is undeniable that they are hard workers. For the little wage they earn, the amount of labor they put in is significant.
Yet, an incident I witnessed recently in Chennai shed light on why this hatred might exist. I was standing in line at a petrol bunk, waiting to fill up my vehicle. The person working the pump was from the North and spoke only Hindi. In front of me was an elderly man, a local Tamil speaker who didn’t appear to know English. They were having an argument.
Curious, I listened to what was happening. The old man said, “இந்த வடநாட்டு காரங்க லாம் வந்து நம்ம தாலிய அருக்கிறாங்க", meaning “These people from the North come here and create trouble for us.” As the argument unfolded, I found that the old man had asked for petrol worth “நூற்று இருபது,” meaning 120 rupees. But the Hindi-speaking worker could not understand Tamil, and the old man could not explain it in English.
In that moment, something became clear to me. The anger, the frustration, it is not always about language imposition or Hindi dominance. It is about the simple everyday interactions that get tangled up in a web of miscommunication. For someone like me, who can manage broken Hindi or English, conversing with migrant workers is not an issue. But for a common Tamil speaker, someone who only knows Tamil, what happens then?
These workers are not just found in small shops or running their own businesses, where language barriers might be less noticeable or easier to navigate. They are often employed in essential services like petrol bunks and other critical areas that people rely on daily. In these settings, effective communication is not just a convenience but a necessity. When a language barrier hinders a worker's ability to understand basic customer needs, it can lead to significant frustration for both the worker and the customer.
For instance, imagine a scenario where a local Tamil speaker needs to convey a simple request or deal with an urgent issue, only to face a worker who cannot understand them due to language differences. This can result in delays, misunderstandings and an overall negative experience. These situations highlight the broader implications of placing individuals in roles where communication is crucial but language barriers exist. It raises the question of whether it is fair or practical to put workers and customers in such challenging positions, where miscommunication can impact essential services and everyday interactions.
Who is at fault here? The migrant workers who come in search of a better life? Or the employers who hire them for lower wages, knowing full well that communication will be an issue for many locals?, This situation raises questions we must confront as a society. Is it fair to expect a common Tamil speaker to adapt in their own land? Or should we hold employers accountable for creating such situations? What can be done to bridge this gap?
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