Pandaarun

To the Stake Moderation and Support Team, I am writing to formally raise a concern regarding the language restriction policy enforced in the Indian Chat section of the Stake platform. I am from Andhra Pradesh, and my native language is Telugu — one of the officially recognized Indian languages under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India. Recently, I was muted in the Indian chatroom simply for communicating in Telugu. When I reached out to support, they was told that “in specific chats like Indian chat, you need to speak Hindi, and we cannot do anything about that.” This response is deeply concerning because it violates the linguistic and constitutional rights guaranteed to every Indian citizen. Legal and Constitutional Grounds No National Language in India India has no national language. As per the Constitution of India, Hindi is only the official language of the Union (Article 343), not the national language. The Supreme Court of India and Gujarat High Court (2010) have both confirmed that “India has no national language, and Hindi cannot be imposed on citizens.” Equality Before Law – Article 14 Every citizen is entitled to equality before the law and equal protection under it. Restricting users in an “Indian chat” based on language preference constitutes linguistic discrimination and violates this principle. Freedom of Speech and Expression – Article 19(1)(a) Every citizen has the right to express themselves freely, including through their language of choice. Muting or banning a user for speaking a constitutionally recognized Indian language violates this fundamental right. Protection of Language, Script, and Culture – Article 29(1) Any section of citizens having a distinct language, script, or culture has the right to conserve the same. Preventing Telugu speakers from communicating publicly in their language contradicts this protection. Eighth Schedule Recognition Telugu is one of the 22 officially recognized languages under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. Therefore, its use in an “Indian” community chat should not only be allowed but respected. Issue Summary Platform: Stake Chatroom: Indian Chat Incident: Muted for speaking Telugu Support Response: “You need to speak Hindi.” Violation: Linguistic discrimination against a constitutionally recognized Indian language My Request I kindly request the following actions: Review and revise Stake’s chat language policy to align with India’s linguistic diversity. Unmute and reinstate users who were unfairly restricted for using regional Indian languages. Train moderators to respect linguistic equality and avoid bias toward one particular language. Consider creating multi-language Indian chatrooms (e.g., Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, etc.) to make communication inclusive and fair. Conclusion India is a multilingual democracy that celebrates unity in diversity. Restricting users to speak only Hindi in an Indian chat not only misrepresents the Indian linguistic landscape but also goes against the very spirit of the Indian Constitution. I hope the Stake team takes this issue seriously and implements fair, inclusive changes that respect every Indian user — regardless of their language. Thank you for your attention and understanding. ( Dear Stake Team, My name is Arun, and my Stake username is pandaarun. I am a native Telugu speaker and fluent in all dialects of the language. I am writing to express my interest in serving as a moderator for Telugu-speaking users on your platform. I am highly disciplined, responsible, and familiar with maintaining a safe, respectful, and inclusive online environment. I understand the challenges that Telugu-speaking users face in the Indian chat, especially when communication is restricted to Hindi, and I believe I can bridge this gap effectively. As a moderator, I will ensure that Telugu users can participate freely while following Stake’s community guidelines, helping to reduce misunderstandings, prevent conflicts, and enhance engagement. I am confident that my contribution will make the chat experience more inclusive and enjoyable for the Telugu-speaking community. Thank you for considering my application. I am eager to support Stake in fostering a diverse, respectful, and vibrant community. Warm regards, Arun Andhra Pradesh, India Stake Username: pandaarun )