Tech firm to relocate from Bengaluru to Pune over Kannada language row
Following an SBI manager's refusal to speak Kannada, a Bengaluru tech company announced relocating to Pune within six months to protect non-Kannada-speaking staff. The move sparked mixed reactions.
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Bengaluru: Following a recent controversy involving an SBI bank manager allegedly refusing to speak Kannada, a Bengaluru-based tech company has announced its decision to relocate to Pune, citing concerns over the Kannada language issue and employee safety.
The company’s founder, Kaushik Mukherjee, stated that the relocation aims to ensure that non-Kannada speaking employees are not subjected to linguistic anxieties in the workplace. The shift to Pune is planned to take place within the next six months.
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Is Kannada losing ground in Bengaluru?
The incident has reignited a long-standing debate about the role and preservation of Kannada in Bengaluru. Despite decades of initiatives aimed at promoting the language, recent events suggest a growing disconnect. The SBI manager’s refusal to converse in Kannada sparked widespread criticism. Although the manager later issued an apology, the fallout has had wider implications.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kaushik Mukherjee wrote:
BJP MP Tejasvi Surya also weighed in, sharing the video of the SBI manager and asserting that such behaviour is unacceptable, especially in customer-facing sectors like banking. He emphasised that providing Kannada-language service to customers in Karnataka is essential.
Mixed public reactions to company’s relocation decision
Responding to Surya’s post, Mukherjee announced his decision to relocate the company. The move has drawn mixed reactions from the public. While some welcomed the departure with comments like “goodbye”, others warned that Pune, a Marathi-speaking city, might not be more accommodating if local language norms are similarly disregarded.
Critics also condemned Mukherjee for benefiting from Bengaluru’s ecosystem without making an effort to learn or respect Kannada. Others pointed out potential silver linings, such as reduced traffic and resource consumption in the city following the company’s exit.
The incident has underscored deeper cultural tensions in the city, as Bengaluru continues to evolve into a multilingual, multicultural metropolis.
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