LIC displays Hindi on website, MK Stalin slams ‘language imposition by force’; insurer blames ‘technical issue’

State-owned Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) blames a technical glitch for displaying Hindi as the default language on its revamped website. LIC's response came after many criticised it, especially in Tamil Nadu, to the extent that Chief Minister MK Stalin called it “linguistic tyranny” and “language imposition by force” on the people of the country.

“Our corporate website was not shuffling the language page due to some technical problem. The issue is resolved now, and the website is available in English/Hindi language. Inconvenience caused is deeply regretted,” LIC wrote on X.

LIC's X post was in response to successive criticisms of the “technical problem”.

CM Stalin called out LIC for hampering the cultural diversity of the country by forcing Hindi on everybody.

“The LIC website has been reduced to a propaganda tool for Hindi imposition. Even the option to select English is displayed in Hindi!” the Tamil Nadu CM wrote on X.

"This is nothing but cultural and language imposition by force, trampling on India's diversity. LIC grew with the patronage of all Indians. How dare it betray the majority of its contributors?

We demand an immediate rollback of this linguistic tyranny," he said.

Apart from Stalin, leaders such as Edappadi K Palaniswami, the Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Ladu Legislative Assembly, and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin slammed LIC.

"The Union Government should take steps to immediately change the LIC website in all state languages ​​including Tamil and English so that people can use it," said Udhayanidhi Stalin.

The Congress' Kerala unit also criticised LIC and stated that people would have to learn Hindi to translate the page.

"LIC revamped their website and made it all Hindi. If you can't read Hindi, there is no way you can use this website. Even though the option to switch to English is given, it is hidden in some corner and you need to know how to read "भाषा" in Hindi to figure it out.

What was wrong with older website where English was the default language? What are citizens from non-Hindi speaking states do," the Congress wrote on X.