In a recent incident, Ola co-founder and CEO Bhavish Aggarwal sparked a debate by criticizing gender pronouns, referring to them as an ‘illness’ borrowed from the West. The controversy arose when LinkedIn’s AI chatbot mistakenly used ‘They’ instead of ‘He’ while addressing Aggarwal, prompting him to share the screenshot and express his concerns about Western influences on Indian culture.
Aggarwal took to social media to voice his disapproval of the so-called ‘pronoun illness’ and warned against blindly adopting Western practices, citing the inclusion of pronouns in CVs and school teachings as examples. The post quickly garnered attention, with mixed reactions from netizens.
While some users supported Aggarwal’s stance, others disagreed, emphasizing the importance of respecting pronouns as a basic act of decency, particularly towards LGBTQ+ individuals. The debate highlighted broader discussions around cultural influences, individual liberties, and the evolving landscape of social norms in contemporary society.
As opinions continue to diverge on the matter, it remains to be seen how the conversation around gender pronouns will evolve in India and worldwide. The incident serves as a reminder of the ongoing dialogues on inclusivity, diversity, and cultural sensitivities in today’s interconnected world.
