It's controversial/ Bengaluru civic body’s ‘60% Kannada’ order brings linguistic concerns back to the forefront

Bengaluru: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has issued a directive requiring commercial shops within its jurisdiction to display at least 60 per cent of their signboards in Kannada. The chief commissioner, Tushar Giri Nath, announced that failure to comply with the order could lead to legal consequences for the non-compliant establishments.

Addressing a meeting with the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), an organization advocating for the Kannada language, Nath revealed plans for a comprehensive survey of commercial shops along the city's arterial and sub-arterial roads, covering a total of 1400 km. 

Shops found lacking in Kannada signage will be served notices and given until February 28 to rectify the situation.

Nath emphasized that legal action, including suspension and license cancellation, awaits those who do not adhere to the language directive by the specified deadline. 

Linguistic concerns back to the forefront 

The move has reignited the Hindi vs Kannada debate in Karnataka, bringing linguistic concerns back to the forefront. 

The controversy deepened with the emergence of a video depicting a KRV supporter issuing threats to shopkeepers, particularly targeting Marwari business owners. 

The woman in the video warned non-compliant individuals that they would become targets if they failed to embrace Kannada pride in the state. 

Despite the unease among shopkeepers, many expressed willingness to comply with the directive, acknowledging the authority of the government. Some shops, though already featuring Kannada on their signboards, also included Hindi and English fonts. 

CM Siddaramaiah's order to learn Kannada

This renewed focus on language issues comes after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s October statement, urging everyone in the state to learn Kannada. 

The Chief Minister emphasized the importance of linguistic unity and the need for residents to speak the local language. 

Siddaramauah’s previous tenure as Chief Minister witnessed efforts to promote Kannada, including a mandate for bank officials to learn the language within six months. 

Language debate’s history 

The language debate in Karnataka has a history, with past incidents targeting Hindi names of Bengaluru metro stations during Siddaramaiah’s earlier term. 

As the civic body’s directive takes effect, the state finds itself once again grappling with questions of linguistic identity and integration