Amid SBI Row, Bengaluru Founder Says He Will Move Office to Pune to Avoid Targeting of Non-Kannada Speaking Staff

New Delhi: In a daring move, following the language feud in Bengaluru, a tech founder, Kaushik Mukherjee, posted on X that he has decided to wind up his office in Bangalore and will be moving to Pune soon, with the reason stated as “language nonsense” by the founder. 

This decision comes amid growing tensions between Kannada speaking and non-Kannada speaking people in the state of Karnataka. Kaushik claims he does not want his non-Kannada speaking staff to be the next ‘victim’ and the idea, as he stated, was proposed by the staff and that he has decided to accept the idea. His post has garnered significant attention and has people giving mixed reactions. 

People Urging The Founder to “Just Learn the Language”? 

Commenting on the X post many have expressed their dismay over Kaushik's post with one saying, “Never expected this from a Bengali.. Just learn the language na!!” 

Another commented - “If don't respect local language then you are not welcome in pune.. Pune is in maharashtra... And as Marathi community we respect local language and stand with Kannada..”

Some users even mocked the decision saying, “Lol more drinking water for us! Get out please! Take your entire biradri (community) with you and don't come back.  Ever!” 

“That's a great decision. Good riddance. Thank you for helping decongest our beloved city” - another said. 

Some of the users are concerned that investments in Bengaluru will take a hit due to the ongoing language row and even trashed the idea of ‘statehood’ saying there is just ‘Bharat’. “It's a matter of time. If this language nonsense continues, then all the investment about which these Karnataka people boast about, will move out of Bengaluru. In Gurugram/Noida, you speak whatever you want. Nobody cares. The Motherland is Bharat not a state.”

Language Barrier Creating a Ruckus? 

This is not the first incident related to a language barrier that has occurred in Karnataka. From auto drivers rejecting rides to non-Kannada speaking people, to people becoming unwelcoming towards the Kannadigas and rejecting them as tenants, it's a long list of incidents that goes both ways. It is sometimes even treated as a matter between the “insiders and outsiders.”

The controversy follows a recent incident where a State Bank of India (SBI) manager reportedly refused to speak Kannada to a customer. The incident caused a stir among locals who deemed this ‘disrespectful’. The manager was involved in an argument with a customer who stated it was RBI’s guidelines to talk to customers in their regional language while the manager said, “I will not speak Kannada.” 

The incident soon resulted in the manager’s transfer as many demanded strict action against the employee. Soon after, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah posted on X “We appreciate SBI’s swift action in transferring the official. The matter may now be treated as closed.”