The tech boom in India has led to creation of multi-cultural, multilingual cities in a very short span of time. This radical change in the demographics of the city has brought an economic boost on one hand but also brought the challenge of peaceful coexistence with the ever existing local community. What is happening in Bangalore is a good example of conflict arising out of such a situation.
There has been an outrage in Bangalore against businesses that don’t have their sign boards in Kannada. There are videos circulating on the internet showing local politicians vandalizing shops and offices for not having kannada sign boards.
Many non-kannada residents spoke about the issue and shared their fear on X. Some of them expressed how it is a counterproductive move and can drive businesses away from Bangalore. Bangalore caters to a very diverse crowd and therefore businesses often choose the language that can best attract their main clientele.
The posts on X started a discourse and some people came in defense of the enforcement of local language as an attempt to protect the local culture. However, vandalism in the name of culture preservation can never be accepted and is definitely harmful for a city that relies on its diverse business crowd.
It’s a shame what’s happening in Bangalore.
I started my AI Consulting company in Pune but soon left Pune for Bangalore due to this exact regional chauvinism.
We’re a team of 70 people now and as a company pay our fair share of taxes to the Karnataka government. Our team…
— Abhishek Agarwal (e/acc) (@abhi_agarwal4) December 27, 2023
The issue isn’t about your learning the language; it’s bout signboards..
Unfairness in tax devolution by central govt is another matter entirely; good luck finding a place that buys you more for your tax ₹ and let’s you carry “wouldn’t learn the local language” arrogance!
— kaushik_nn (@iamnnk) December 27, 2023
Global markets are witnessing extreme polarisation and India is no exception. We live in extremeley polarised world. My Few cents – making sign boards in local language is a business compliance . Why should businesses fight it ? Infact , global businesses can carry multiple…
— Rama Venugopal (@ramavenu) December 28, 2023
