LANGUAGES IN INDIA ARE MEANT TO UNITE, NOT DIVIDE

 

Recently, on social media, I heard an SBI bank manager in Chandapura, Bangalore, telling a customer, 'I will not speak Kannada; I will speak Hindi.' Hindi is our national language. At the same time, the bank customers were pressuring the bank manager to speak Kannada. 

 

The customer was adamant that the bank manager should talk to her in Kannada. However, the manager clearly said that she would not do so. A video was also made by the woman during the argument, which is currently going viral on social media.

 

 

The argument between the bank manager and the customer has sparked controversy although the battle between Kannada and Hindi is an age-old one in Karnataka. Such controversies have been increasing rapidly since Bangalore has emerged as an IT hub where the number of Hindi-speaking people has also increased rapidly.

ANGER OF KANNADA ORGANIZATIONS

This incident has not only heated up the controversy between Kannada-speaking people and people from outside Karnataka but raised the issue of linguistic identity in Karnataka also. Pro-Kannada organisations, such as Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), are angry over the incident and have said that they will march to the main branch of SBI in Bengaluru and submit a memorandum.

 

 

The organisation said that this is not the first case where Kannada-speaking customers have faced inconvenience in SBI branches. The controversy highlights a long-standing demand in Karnataka to make the use of the local language Kannada compulsory in banks and other institutions. The organisation has demanded that SBI train its employees to show respect towards the Kannada language and the culture of Karnataka.

 

 

An incident also occurred in July 2017 in which several stations of the Bangalore Metro Rail were attacked almost simultaneously. Kannada activists, most of them representatives of Karnataka Rakshana Vedika, sprayed black paint on Hindi signage at stations and shouted slogans against the imposition of Hindi. Soon after, the Metro authorities limited the station names to English and Kannada.

SBI GAVE CLARIFICATION          

 

 

After the controversy escalated, the State Bank of India issued a statement expressing concern over the incident and assured to start an investigation into the matter. The statement acknowledged the seriousness of the situation and indicated that the matter was under review, according to India Today. The bank said, "We respect the sentiments of the customers and adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards such incidents."

 

 

SENSITIVITY TOWARDS LANGUAGE IS IMPORTANT IN SOCIAL RELATIONS

 

 

This incident once again highlights the sensitivity of language disputes in India. In recent years, there have been many controversies in Bengaluru regarding Hindi and Kannada, such as the case of auto drivers charging more fare to a Hindi-speaking woman. Many people on social media are linking it to regional identity, while others are considering it an example of language discrimination.

                                       

The debate also highlights how issues related to language identity and use can complicate social interactions. The incident has sparked discussion in the local community, where people are becoming aware of the importance of language and rights. The case not only raises questions about the role of language in banking services but also points to how language sensitivity plays a key role in social relationships. Dialogue and understanding are needed to resolve such disputes.

 

THE INCIDENT SPARKED SHARP REACTIONS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

          

 

Some users called the manager's attitude an insult to Karnataka's culture, while others called it a "linguistic divide" and stressed unity. The case may further intensify the debate on the balance of language and identity in a multicultural city like Bengaluru.

                                                                           

One user wrote, "What is happening in this country? What if this happens to South Indians in North India?"

 

At the same time, some users supported the manager and said that India is a multilingual country and there is nothing wrong with speaking Hindi.

Many people on social media are linking it to regional identity, while others are considering it an example of linguistic discrimination.

 

Some said that the insult of the Hindi language cannot be tolerated.

 

Another said that the pressure of regional languages ​​in government work is an insult to the national language.

 

One person said that South Indian people have no problem with English but they want to oppose Hindi.

 

Someone said that Hindi is the national language, but what is the controversy in it?

 

In another reaction it was said that the priests of Kedarnath come from Karnataka, they speak and understand Hindi well, similarly if a Hindi-speaking person stays in Karnataka for a long time, he will automatically learn Kannada. It would be unfair to expect this from a new person immediately.

 

Praising the bank manager, someone wrote that she did a great job by giving respect to Hindi.

 

One said that if the customer was not able to understand Hindi, she could have said that she was not able to understand Hindi. The bank manager could have made some arrangements for this. But such narrow-minded behavior is not good in such a big country.

 

Another one said in his response that the manager was appointed on the basis of her talent and not on the basis of Kannada language.

 

LANGUAGES MUST UNITE A DIVERSE INDIA

 

Languages ​​in India are meant to unite, not divide. But today, everyone is irritated with each other's language. It has to be understood that Kannada, like any other regional language, is not just a medium of communication. It is an emotion. The media must be free and unbiased, uninfluenced by corporate or state interests.

 

 

In a diverse country like India, the government should respect multiple identities. It cannot be said that you have only one identity - Indian - and all others should be eliminated. One identity cannot be pitted against another. If you are an Indian, accept Hindi. It is not logical to say that if you are a Kannadiga, you are less Indian. 

There should be no ego in the matter of language, and no one should be provoked. To solve language disputes, people need to respect each other's cultures. This can help people understand each other's point of view. Ways should be found to resolve such disputes. In such a situation, translators and interpreters could be used.