Telugus advised to talk in English in wake of Srinivas Kuchibhotla's killing

Hyderabad: The Telangana American Telugu Association (TATA) has advised its members not to speak in their mother tongue in public places in America, in the wake of the tragic shooting of Srinivas Kuchibhotla in Kansas last week. Kuchibhotla is believed to have been the victim of a racist attack.

“Much as we love talking in our mother tongue, it can often be misconstrued. Please see if you can communicate in English in public places,” TATA general secretary Vikram Jangam said in a statement uploaded on the social media page of the association.

Even as it condemned the attack, the association gave some practical tips to its members, such as not getting into an argument in public places, avoiding going out on one’s own or living on one’s own in isolated places as these can often make one a target, calling the emergency number 911 in case of an emergency, etc.

Bharat Reddy, a US returned entrepreneur, said that the advice not to speak in one’s local language is not new, but it has acquired a new urgency in view of the current developments. “During my Master’s study I was advised not to speak in my mother tongue or in Hindi with my fellow Indians in public places. There is a chance of white people mistaking that we are talking about them or cracking jokes about them,” he said.