‘alien Language’: Bengaluru Atm Offers No Kannada; Social Media Firestorm Intensifies Language Debate

A simmering connection statement successful Karnataka has taken a sharper turn. What began arsenic outrage complete a Bengaluru slope head refusing to speak Kannada has snowballed into broader concerns astir nan sidelining of nan state’s charismatic language.

The manager’s remark — “This is India, I'll speak Hindi, not Kannada” — ignited protests led by pro-Kannada groups and drew a stern consequence from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. State Bank of India reacted swiftly, transferring nan head and issuing an apology. But nan connection warfare isn’t cooling off.

Fueling nan fire, a caller flashpoint has emerged — this clip complete ATM connection options. A customer took to societal media to telephone retired Union Bank of India for not offering Kannada arsenic a connection prime astatine an ATM extracurricular its Nagarbhavi branch adjacent nan NLS campus.

“Hello, @UnionBankTweets astatine ur ATM extracurricular nan Nagarbhavi Branch adjacent nan NLS campus, had virtually wasted truthful overmuch clip searching for My connection Kannada., aft reference ‘Select Your Language’ but only to find English and different alien connection Hindi. What’s nan full constituent of Giving Hindi and not providing Kannada?” nan personification posted connected X (formerly Twitter).

The backlash was immediate. Critics questioned nan reside and intent of nan post.

“You could person conscionable said English and Hindi but you person to usage a derogatory word, ‘alien,’ earlier it. Your conflict is for Kannada connection aliases it is to reproach different languages?” a personification replied.

Another scoffed, “If you station this \[in] English, you tin usage ATM successful English arsenic well! Next what? Why Microsoft Windows is not successful Kannada? Morons… ugliness to History of Karnataka!!”

One much added, “Only group for illustration you find Hindi arsenic an alien connection while typing each these delirium successful a connection which was imposed by your assemblage rulers. Typical brownish sepoy. Unfit for countries for illustration India.”

These tensions aren’t isolated. In September 2024, Prof. Purushottama Bilimale, Chairman of nan Kannada Development Authority, warned against nan increasing power of Hindi and called for corporate resistance. Around nan aforesaid time, nan 87th Kannada Sahitya Sammelana successful Mandya amplified voices opposing nan centralisation of Hindi.

The activity of protests and pushback reflects a broader taste struggle — betwixt preserving section linguistic identities and accommodating a nationalist connection framework. Language, arsenic Karnataka's caller events show, is not conscionable a intends of connection but a marker of identity. And for many, nan perceived erasure of Kannada from nationalist platforms is simply a conflict excessively individual to ignore.

Published on: May 24, 2025 5:42 PM IST