A simmering language row in Karnataka has taken a sharper flip. What started as outrage over a Bengaluru financial institution supervisor refusing to talk Kannada has snowballed into broader considerations in regards to the sidelining of the state’s official language.
The supervisor’s remark — “That is India, I am going to communicate Hindi, not Kannada” — ignited protests led by pro-Kannada teams and drew a stern response from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. State Financial institution of India reacted swiftly, transferring the supervisor and issuing an apology. However the language warfare isn’t cooling off.
Fueling the hearth, a brand new flashpoint has emerged — this time over ATM language choices. A buyer took to social media to name out Union Financial institution of India for not providing Kannada as a language selection at an ATM exterior its Nagarbhavi department close to the NLS campus.
“Hi there, @UnionBankTweets at ur ATM exterior the Nagarbhavi Department close to the NLS campus, had actually wasted a lot time trying to find My language Kannada., after studying ‘Choose Your Language’ however solely to seek out English and one other alien language Hindi. What’s the entire level of Giving Hindi and never offering Kannada?” the consumer posted on X (previously Twitter).
The backlash was fast. Critics questioned the tone and intent of the publish.
“You would have simply mentioned English and Hindi however it’s a must to use a derogatory phrase, ‘alien,’ earlier than it. Your battle is for Kannada language or it’s to insult different languages?” a consumer replied.
One other scoffed, “If you happen to publish this [in] English, you should use ATM in English as nicely! Subsequent what? Why Microsoft Home windows will not be in Kannada? Morons… shame to Historical past of Karnataka!!”
Yet one more added, “Solely folks such as you discover Hindi as an alien language whereas typing all these nonsense in a language which was imposed by your colonial rulers. Typical brown sepoy. Unfit for nations like India.”
These tensions aren’t remoted. In September 2024, Prof. Purushottama Bilimale, Chairman of the Kannada Improvement Authority, warned in opposition to the rising affect of Hindi and known as for collective resistance. Across the similar time, the 87th Kannada Sahitya Sammelana in Mandya amplified voices opposing the centralisation of Hindi.
The wave of protests and pushback displays a broader cultural battle — between preserving native linguistic identities and accommodating a nationwide language framework. Language, as Karnataka’s current occasions present, isn’t just a method of communication however a marker of identification. And for a lot of, the perceived erasure of Kannada from public platforms is a battle too private to disregard.
