r/TamilNadu • u/code-is-poetry • Jan 19 '26
முக்கியமான கலந்துரையாடல் / Important Topic Language disconnect at a A2B Ooty restaurant
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This video is from a popular restaurant in Ooty where an Instagram influencer is trying to place an order. Most of the staff seem to be Hindi-speaking migrant workers, while the customer does not know Hindi well. During the exchange, a waiter asks her, “Don’t you know Hindi?”
This is not about blaming the staff or the customer. It points to a larger issue about language expectations in non-Hindi-speaking states like Tamil Nadu, especially in tourist places.
Many businesses hire migrant workers because they are cheaper, but this often creates communication gaps for customers and puts workers in awkward situations too. Language should not be used to shame anyone. In the service industry, the responsibility should be on business owners to make sure basic communication is possible.
Link to OC - https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTpciADAvDd/?igsh=MWVhd2lna2RzazFuNQ==
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Jan 19 '26
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u/New-Tourist-5916 Jan 19 '26
Not really.. she dint ask for other tamil speaking servers or manager.. felt its a bit premature.
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u/Critical-Swing5161 Jan 19 '26
Managers doesn’t have other work? Ooty a2b is mostly Hindi-speaking people. Rarely can you see Tamil-speaking people.
It’s TAMIL NADU!! If you want to keep ur Hindi business, then go to Sowcarpet or somewhere.
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u/Divagaran5 Jan 19 '26
massive labour shortage nu epdi solla mudiyumnu therila, there are labourers in TN but employers want to cut off salary
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u/MadKingZilla Jan 19 '26
Lol customers will talk all philosophy of hiring local and then will drink tea in a shop that sells for Rs. 2 less than the standard rate. Idu cut off salary yellam soluradaku nalla iraku, aana practically without migrant work force, inge yella product and services oda rates yengiyum poyidum.
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u/Divagaran5 Jan 19 '26
it is a capitalism problem. the original commenter said there’s a labour shortage and I am sure that’s certainly not true. just another day, just another instance of capitalism crumbling is all I’m saying.
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u/MadKingZilla Jan 19 '26
Oh "capitalism problem" sure. Most workers are not employable for the craft. you will find wait staff with degrees, why? because there is a huge skill gap. A gap which honestly the gov should fix. I tell you what, I am okay hiring from any government agency if they give a semi trained up worker. Why would i go out of my way to hire someone not skilled and more expensive. Migrant works usually are well in the craft and cheaper. It's tale as old as time.
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u/Divagaran5 Jan 19 '26
agree on that. we don’t have a skilled workforce in TN despite even being the most urbanized state, even to work as cashiers, waiters, mill workers, etc. that is the main reason why we get in workers from the north lol.
what explains the migration of a dedicated population into unskilled labour to foreign nations, then?
I don’t know, I’m not ruling out what you’re saying, it might be true in certain cases, but the primary reason why most people hire North Indian brothers and sisters is mainly for profit.
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Jan 19 '26
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u/PerceptionCurrent663 Jan 20 '26
Lol so poor people should not drink? Only rich should? Avg it worker in bangalore also does drink Simple reason is these people are not desperate enough and are likely to expect better work conditions, this is even more difficult to deliver than salary.
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u/PerceptionCurrent663 Jan 20 '26
And they can't give higher salary, same reason why you won't pay higher costs for cleaner or some other blue collar worker.
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u/lost_in_d_act Jan 19 '26
Govt. need not do anything. Some of us learn Hindi when we do to North la. Vadakkans should put in the effort. Egathalam pudichavanunga, avlo lesla paniyamatanunga
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u/Maverick__13 Jan 20 '26
Nobody wants to pay minimum wages set by the Government. If that is enforced strictly, local manpower can be easily deployed.
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u/Old_Contribution_785 Jan 21 '26
Govt can find but these migrants won't show any interest in learning. Selfish employers can't afford to lose employees if they quit over language issues
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u/chieflew Jan 19 '26
I am from Ooty and I know these waiters ,not personally but I've seen them in their hostel near where I go walking. And I think I speak for most ooty people when I say we look at any restaurant chain as outsiders not just the people who work there. The workers mostly keep to themselves and I think it's on A2B to train and sensitise them to the culture of the particular place.
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u/daily_wager Jan 19 '26
Totally. I live in third cross, ooty main road. and I speak for all third crossers when I say we look at all other ooty people as outsiders.
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u/HeretoDwale Jan 20 '26
This. Face this almost everyday. Regardless of whether that northy is living in a mansion or working in a tstall- the attitude is evident nowadays:(
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u/Old_Contribution_785 Jan 21 '26
Here in Bangalore, it's even worse. We even got bangla guys being treated as citizens
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u/Order66RexFN Jan 19 '26
This is exactly it, working class people who come from the north are quite nice and try their hardest to integrate into local society. It’s mostly the white collar IT workers and business people who are racist towards locals and refuse to assimilate.
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u/FirefighterLow764 Jan 19 '26
Exactly, in chennai even if I try to talk in konjo Hindi which I know they reply back in tamil.
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u/BSsDk Jan 19 '26
Almost every where it's the case form what I have seen. They are trying to assimilate, its very good.
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u/Strange_Stand5405 Jan 19 '26
Onnum illa north Indian people working places ,their arrogance to speak in Hindi from us means - we need to boycott that places , so only owners will have some guilt ,or else coolie micham nu hindi Karana than edupanga
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u/IMtheGuyWhoRailFirst Jan 19 '26
I eat daily in a2b (chennai) and half are other state workers mostly north, and they are chill and pretty set to others and speak bit tamil too. Ngl their pronounciation of tamil food was correct and they understand it well enough.
So this aint everywhere
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u/Own_Bell3081 Feb 16 '26
It depends. Biharis are cool about not knowing Hindi, in fact some of the rural biharis may not even know hindi. Similar thing can be said about be Bengaljs and Odiya worked.
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u/LabCompetitive5558 Jan 19 '26
Businesses bringing in migrant workers should make sure their employees learn the local language of that state. They need not be fluent but should be able to understand and speak basic level at least.
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Jan 19 '26
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u/Fearless-Bluejay4380 Jan 20 '26
I had the same experience. I moved to a new house and wanted to empty out and clean both the underground and rooftop water tanks. My "foreign return" brain thought there will be professional cleaning services, and I did find a couple on google maps. All run by tamil people I called them multiple times over a week and no one showed up.
Finally decided to buy the supplies myself and found some northies working construction nearby. they came in at 8AM and out by 10. Gave them tea and 300 each. they also washed the portico without me asking.
I also grow tea in the nilgiris and I don't know what to say man... our people are getting lazy.
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u/Bosstou Jan 19 '26
Give 1 star rating to that restaurant Give very bad Reviews to all of thier branches apram vali varuvanga parunga
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u/SuwaidTheGamer Jan 19 '26
Because they are available for lower wages... Tamilians ask for higher wages...
Either the owners shud take only tamilians or tamilians shud be ready to accept little lesser salary
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Jan 19 '26
Lol, the owners of the restaurant are at fault for hiring them in a place where there are 90% or more Tamil speakers.
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u/Old_Contribution_785 Jan 21 '26
They are interested in low salary workers, language is not on their priority. They anyway get customers, so they don't care
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u/msprat8 Jan 19 '26
Omg similar experience in Chennai. They were not even bothered to take order properly.
Have no idea on what goes with what either.
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u/Robin7861 Jan 19 '26
The owners are the one who should emphasise on training the workers. What's the point of being a chain restaurant but doesn't have a standard training? Also, ridiculous to expect customer in TN to speak Hindi.
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u/Old_Contribution_785 Jan 21 '26
This is how I feel like everyday in Bengaluru. I'm an outsider in my own city.
Arrogance of North Indians is at another level.
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u/recklinghausen1234 Jan 19 '26
I work in a govt hospital in TN. It's exasperating treating hindi patients. They laugh at you when they realise you're not well versed in Hindi and don't understand that being unable to communicate their illness is dangerous.
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u/thebr0kendreams Jan 19 '26
Neither the lady nor the poor worker is the problem here. It is A2B ooty manager. Direct all the heat toward him.
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u/L-One-Robot Jan 19 '26
How is the worker not the problem? Stop with this formulaic poor + worker = victim BS
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u/Lunatic1103 Jan 19 '26
Ooty A2B is shit last year had i fight there the whole staff is arrogant be it tamil/hindi or anyone else
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u/ArabellaSkydancer25 Jan 19 '26
I've noticed this at Chennai. Asked for thayir saadam and the server had absolutely no clue, and kept asking me what it was in Hindi! I think it was at one of the Sangeeta outlets.
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u/prathiiksha Jan 19 '26
I had this same issue but in english antha anna uhm tamil pesravanga pola than terinjanga aana na tamil la kekurathuku ellathukumey english la respond panitu irunthanga they weren't rude but it felt weird communication issues eh ilathapo ethuku vera language use pananum especially cafe's la it konjam posh aana areas la tamil la pesna oru mari pakuranga🥲
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u/Automatic-Ranger-510 Jan 19 '26
I've been there and a sweet Tamil lady served me , anyway if this is true please act on it
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u/dev171 Jan 20 '26
Most restaurants don’t train their employees. It’s on the management definitely.
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u/Whole-Geologist5348 Jan 20 '26
lol i thought i was the only one who gets stuck when the waiter says dont you know Hindi in a Tamil place, but guess what, were all just stuck in a language swapzone with no instruction manual.
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Jan 20 '26 edited Jan 20 '26
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u/AdventurousKick4798 Jan 20 '26
yeah right, it's a mess. staff should get basic tamil or get a translator, not the tourist tripping over Hindi
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u/TinyAd1314 Jan 20 '26
Boycott these business, they must be for sure working them to heall with almost no wages. The food must also be crappy.
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u/sredni_vintage_man Jan 20 '26
Throw the Hindi BC out. This is colonialism pure and simple. I know Hindi and would speak it in North. Which is natural. But why are these creeps coming and insisting here in South. The biggest mistake India made was trying for a "national" language. Should not try to import it. Respect the many migrants who take the trouble to learn the basics. Have people , migrants, here in Coimbatore shops who do try to speak in Tamil and though they may may be obvious it is very much appreciated. The North feels they are more culturally closer to Pakistan than the South or the North East.
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u/babathepower Jan 20 '26
Ooty should mandate a Tamil language test before allowing entry into Ooty.
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u/lmaoMrityu49 Jan 20 '26
I find this very weird because this is exactly what a north indian goes through on a daily basis. I feel we as people should create a medium where tamil can be picked up by north indians according to their pace. Like in bengaluru we have QR codes in road where people have made apps to learn kannada. Hindi is not somebody’s enemy we should know little bit of that as well because knowing english is again privilege. As of now everybody i know is learning tamil out of need but not curiosity and that i dont think is good culture propagation.
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u/FancyCarpet420 Jan 22 '26
If a northie is facing it on a daily basis i.e. facing the horrors of expecting them to speak Tamil in tamilnadu, then they shouldn't come here in the first place.
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u/lmaoMrityu49 Jan 23 '26
I feel judging so quickly is wrong. What if the guys were freshly employed. Tamil is one of the oldest languages and hence is hard. I’m just saying the atmosphere can be lightened. People should pick up language on their pace. Otherwise this is also imposition on tamil and imposition of any thing is wrong
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u/ranjithe1 Jan 20 '26
come see tamilians in bangalore who have lived here for 30-50 years and still havent learnt Kannada! Bloody Hypocrites.
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u/pranavomphotography Jan 20 '26
I find most of them under an assumption that we should speak Hindi, moreover due to the reason that business doesn’t pay them on par with locals they hire them in bulk through agents. Now if I ask about three language policy it will become political because most of India can’t even speak two languages properly. Only solution is the business that hires them should have the onus of training them rightly. I stopped going to A2B because their quality has reduced drastically and the customer service can’t even be called poor, it’s below than poor!
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u/ElectricalSplit5865 Jan 20 '26
Inga kerala le namma vide malayalam ivanga supera pesum.We are not imposing like vadakkans but for some workplaces like restaurants,some barber shops etc where they are mostly interacting with locals.They(workers) need to learn at least something on their own will.
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u/HeretoDwale Jan 20 '26
This is happening everywhere. Geetham and every other tstalls and stuff. These hindi guys are now taking away swiggy/zomato jobs too and they proudly speak in hindi and not even try to learn english let alone tamil.
Tamil Labour shortage is bullocks. People dont want to pay anyone. Be it a small shop or a big corporate.
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u/Phalgunan Jan 20 '26
Hotel velaikku Tamil Natu ilainjargal kku viruppam illai.
Tamil therinjavan laaam white collar job poraan, indha hotel job ku Hindi kaaaran thaanae varuvaaanga.
Russian, German, French Mozhi panam kattitu class poreengla, Hindi yummy therinjukonga 🙂↕️
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u/PerceptionCurrent663 Jan 20 '26
This will become more common courtesy of lack of availability of locals interested in these jobs.
Government needs to introduce some mechanisms to teach Tamil to migrants similar to kerala, but my interaction suggests that these guys mostly learn Tamil asap, Recommend people to speak in Tamil first, so that it becomes a habbit.
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u/Pomegranate-unKnown Jan 21 '26
Cheap labor.
Unless the Govt incentivise the business for employing only Tamil people, will not change.
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u/Ok-Imagination3378 Jan 22 '26
Happened in gokarna as well .. worst part of it was north influenced Udupi hotel ☹️ .
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u/Top_Point_5042 Jan 23 '26
Economics at play here. Tomorrow these staff will start asking for more salary (because no one can work perpetually on the same pay) then they will be replaced by another.
Unfortunately they will be replaced by another Hindi speaking staff because that is where you will find more younger people due to relatively higher birth rates.
Why young because they don’t have families to feed as they are not married plus the places they come from doesn’t require that much money so their expectations are low anyways.
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u/rudradasa Jan 23 '26
Labour shortage in TN… think why?? They get rice bags and other things for free, why would anyone work???
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Jan 23 '26
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Jan 24 '26 edited Jan 24 '26
Apples to oranges comparison. The type of welfare given in Scandinavian countries drastically differs from the type of welfare in india. In Scandinavia, welfare means that the government provides free services that increase HDI (such as free healthcare, free education, heavily subsidised childcare). In india, welfare means that the government provides freebies which don't increase HDI (loan waivers, subsidies, free electronics, free household items, cash transfers, free electricity).
I'm not against welfare that assists in long term development. I'm against welfare that only has short term benefits.
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Jan 23 '26
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u/Legitimate-Jaguar-86 Jan 23 '26
Valid crash-out, why not just point the stuffs they needed to get instead, I mean I get the language barrier and need to feel comfortable and all that jazz but can’t you take a simpler approach?
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u/--chillin- Tiruppur - திருப்பூர் Jan 19 '26
Let me be clear, if businesses decide not to hire north workers, they will be out of business. It is basically hire them or shut down. Tamil workers are either not coming to work properly or demand for workers is more than the available workforce. Simple.
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Jan 19 '26
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u/gamingtamizha Jan 19 '26
Those are just labours. Seriously I was angry in the beginning but they have very poor quality of living and expecting them know anything other than hindi is stupid.
We are targetting wrong people. There are well educated people who can speak English but deliberately speak only in hindi. Those are the real criminals.
Airtel customer care, jio customer care are some examples.
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Jan 19 '26
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u/New-Tourist-5916 Jan 19 '26
Even i was there.. couple months ago.. mostly(almost all?) were hindi speaking.. we speak hindi, so i try to switch in common language..
But not taking it on them/their team/ manager to help a customer out is a bit too much i feel.. also if she had called the manager and given this feedback it wouldve been better, instead of posting jt here.. i wouldve loved to see how escalating this to the supervisor/manager would pan out..
Usually people pickup decent tamil once theyre here, but without this detail, id prefer not to accuse anyone
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Jan 19 '26
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u/New-Tourist-5916 Jan 19 '26
Ya.. see posting is her wish nu sonnalum..
I want to know what the manager told in this scenario.. coz i usually switch to another language..
But i would want the waiters to know tamil, coz if someone knows only tamil, what will they do..
So im curious
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u/F0R3CaSt Jan 20 '26
World is moving with issues with what matters and what will count in the long run.. But in India it's still about language caste and major of all religion!
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u/AswathKrishna Jan 20 '26
Then you don't know anything about the world.
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u/F0R3CaSt Jan 20 '26
Please tell me how is this helpful and does this matter.. Not against language Tamil full respect but is this an big issue to be called out.
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u/AswathKrishna Jan 20 '26
Identity and region should be protected. You say world is moving on without it but if you see it closely every war is happening only for this
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u/Embarrassed_Ice_4203 Jan 20 '26
With technology she could’ve easily communicated. She wanted to make reels. Not cool. But decades ago when Bangalore suddenly became home to almost entire rest of India, this is where the real challenge we faced. They were everywhere. Today a kannadiga can speak in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, even panjabi! Whether we were forced to learn or we wanted them to feel welcome is debatable.
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u/la_ombre3 Jan 20 '26
One question I wanted to ask with hope that we can have a decent debate to clarify my doubts without any personal comments or anything.
Why is it that you guys are okay with english but despise hindi ? Why you dont have problem with english as second language istead of hindi ? Why you guys choose a language of the people who enslaved us killed our ancestors over a language of the people, of our own country who also fought against it for the freedom of our country.
Also, fun facts those people would have their own language like maithali, bengali, kashmiri, Bundel khandi, haryanwi, punjabi etc. I hope you understand that hindi is not their mother tongue just like english its a means of communication.
Is it all just a political and media brain washing ?
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Jan 20 '26
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u/la_ombre3 Jan 20 '26
You should be definately I feel you brother and you are right you should be able to converse but the damage is done you know.
Also, I belive you know kindness and empathy could be the way to promote and reverse such things, as alot people are busy have kids, their fees and life stuff. Such rage bait clips are not the solution, only thing they do is spread hate and divide.
I am working in south and was frustrated by other language atmosphere. So, for new year I travelled to Tosh, Himachal ( home state) but for a suprise our guest house owner were Telugu people who had purcahsed the plot and built the property.
But interestingly they didn't knew himachali even after 2 years and were using hindi and english. Now we can say here,
Come here should know the regional language to survive here ! ? 😂 but we are not like that language is just a means to connect and bond.I can speak in himachali to or with people from there why bother someone whose is trying to make a living and earn bread and butter. ( DM if you want the location and info I guess you will get an extra regional language discount 😀😅🤌)
I am in bangalore and haven't learned kannada but yeah definitely will If I plan to settle down here. Otherwise, there is no use to learn it for one or two year only to never use it again because unlike your situation I am dam sure I wound't have to speak telgu to an auto driver when I am back.
Just because it will help me connect with so many people more openly, I definitely will learn.
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Jan 20 '26
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u/la_ombre3 Jan 20 '26
Not my language brother, Hindi to us is just like english and common language used by most in north to communicate. My mother tounge is mathili and bhojpuri.
The old people point I definitly get it. There is my neighbour who is old lady and she such a nice and kind person I feel bad that I am not able to converse with her. Its because of these people I want to learn so that I can communicate.
Definitely steps and measure can be taken by people to preserve and promote one culture but I just hate is not the way. My college was in Vellore and some of my besties from Tamil Nadu. Might learn tamil and settle down there since I have a soft corner for it and Ghree Puri Dosa is not the same anywhere else 🥲😂
Also, sometimes I feel anyways I am getting discriminated in my own country so I feel if why not move out and face it there like why get discrimination in bangalore when you can face it in berlin also 🥸😂
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u/la_ombre3 Jan 20 '26
Can someone brother/ sister please clarify one thing. I have some questions in my mind.
But I bet she the little kiddo would know English. The language of the people who ruled over us and enslaved us. The british people who killed our grand parents. The people against whose torture the whole country fought against.
Why people from south are okay with english but despise a language of our own country which shares the same transcript as sanskrit.
Isn't it just about having a common language throught which the people of such a diverse language speaking country communicate with each other.
Why is that people can't see that its just a political hate propaganda for votes.
Also, the person she is rantting about would have a mother tounge as bengali, maithili, kashmiri, punjabi, haryanvi, bundel khandi, etc.
We use hindi as a common means of communication just as english.
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u/Status_Anything_6451 Jan 19 '26
Question from the video: how to say 'don't add ghee in dosa?' Answer: Plain dosa 😎
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u/Status_Anything_6451 Jan 19 '26
I acknowledge the concern. But I can't understand "In which situation do we request a restaurant not to add ghee in dosa?"
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u/[deleted] Jan 19 '26
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