Woman in Kolkata metro asks passenger to speak in Hindi instead of Bengali, video goes viral, watch

A viral video from a Kolkata Metro train has ignited a fierce debate over language and cultural identity. The clip shows a non-Bengali woman confronting a Bengali passenger for speaking in her native language instead of Hindi. “This is not Bangladesh,” she said, adding, “You are in India. West Bengal is part of India, and you must learn Hindi.”

The Bengali woman responded firmly in her native tongue, saying, “I live in West Bengal, my homeland. How can you insult me for speaking Bengali here?”

Again a Hindian attack on a Bengali. This Hindian lady racially abusing her as 'Bangladeshi'. The same propaganda that living in India you have to speak in Hindi or get branded as 'anti-national'. It's time one should make a law against Hindi imposition in non-Hindi states. pic.twitter.com/MCCUekuOfP

— Bengali Nationalist (@MoinakBanerjee5) November 19, 2024

The argument escalated as the non-Bengali passenger insisted, “The metro is not yours. West Bengal is not yours.” In response, the Bengali woman countered, “The metro and West Bengal are mine. The metro was built with taxpayers’ money from this state, not yours.”

Other passengers attempted to calm the situation, but tensions flared further when the non-Bengali woman brought Bangladesh into the conversation, sparking outrage. Many passengers defended the Bengali woman and criticized the non-Bengali for her remarks.

The video has sparked widespread reactions online. One user commented, “This arrogance is possible only because Bengalis are tolerant. Such behavior wouldn’t be tolerated in other states.” Another pointed out the irony: “She preaches Hindi but speaks in English herself. What does it matter which language one speaks?”

This incident follows a similar controversy in Bengaluru, where a local man rebuked a non-Kannada speaker for not learning Kannada after living in the state for over a decade.