Watch: Indian-origin MP fires back in fluent Hindi, leaves Guyana opposition stunned

Vikash Ramkissoon, an MP in Guyana surprised the crowd by speaking fluent Hindi when questioned over his understanding of the language by the opposition during a parliament session.

A video of his speech including appropriate words and fluent pronunciations has the internet celebrating in joy.The exchange occurred when an opposition lawmaker claimed Ramkissoon, 'did not know a word in Hindi'. The MP quickly took permission from the Speaker and said he would now respond in Hindi to address the remark directly.He named the opposition member, 'Vishnu Pandey' and issued a challenge, adding that he would debate on any subject, at any place, chosen by his opponent, in Hindi without even looking at a paper.

The MP continued to speak courageously, showing off his knowledge of the language and successfully shutting down claims that he lacked proficiency in it. "Permit me sir, because he said I don't know a word in Hindi. I am responding to him, the honourable member," began Ramkissoon. "Permit me sir to say it in Hindi, mananiya adhyakshmahodaya, adarniya sadasya, mananiya Vishnu Pandey.""Mai abhi isi waqt unko chunauti deta hoon, ki kisi bhi star par, kisi bhi jagah par ja karke, Vishay who tay karenge, aur mai ja karke debate karunga bina kagaz le karke," he challenged.

Vikash Ramkissoon goes viral on social media

The MP's video was shared by the High Commission of India in Georgetown, Guyana on its official X handle. From there it was reshared multiple times across social media platforms and has even reached Indians who are hailing Ramkissoon's surprisingly fluent Hindi. "Questioning his Hindi was unnecessary. He answered in Hindi without notes. That settles the issue clearly," appreciated a netizen on X. "Such moments highlight the importance of cultural representation and linguistic diversity in governance.

What are your thoughts on the significance of language in political discourse?" added another.

Who is Vikash Ramkissoon?

Vikash Ramkissoon, is an Indian-origin minister within the Ministry of Agriculture in Guyana. He was appointed to the ministry on September 13th, 2025. Before joining there, he served as the Ministry of Agriculture’s Parliamentary Secretary for the Twelfth Parliament of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana from 2020 to 2025. Previously, he had a solid career in the banking sector, working as a Branch Manager at Demerara Bank Limited. Interestingly, he holds a Master of Commerce and Finance along with a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Delhi, India. He also completed a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) with distinction from the University of Guyana.Guyana, a South American country is surprisingly home to the largest Indian diaspora in Latin America. As of July 2025, the tiny country's 40% populations constituted of Indians. The reason goes back to May 5, 1838 when 396 Indian immigrants, known as 'The Gladstone Coolies' were taken to British Guiana (now Guyana) from Calcutta (now Kolkata). They worked at the sugar industry and came to occupy a large part of the ethnic population by 1911, due to the indentured labour system going on for the other three-quarters of the century.