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A new viral clip has ignited controversy over the visibility of Kannada in Bengaluru. The clip, which is shot in what seems to be Mumbai as part of a vox pop, captures a man stopping passersby and asking them about Bengaluru’s official language. To everyone’s surprise, none of them mentioned Kannada, some gave Hindi, some English, Tamil, or Malayalam. Since then, Kannadigas have responded angrily to the video, seeing it as a sign that their language is being marginalized in their own state.
ತಪ್ಪು ಅವರದಲ್ಲ… pic.twitter.com/xOFXgHPILo
— Ice Candy ಗೋಪಾಲ (@IceCandyGopalaa) March 2, 2025
Kannadigas React with Frustration
Kannadigas vented their frustration on social media, with many attributing the failure to other languages gaining prominence in Bengaluru. A user noted that while Kannadigas have gone out of their way to learn Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi to accommodate others, their own language is being ignored.
Another social media member attributed this linguistic unawareness to a prevalent stereotype that Hindi is the national language of India. “Everybody presumes Hindi is the default language of India. South Indians are stereotyped as either ‘Madrasis’ (Tamils) or ‘Communists’ (Malayalis), and courtesy of the movie industry, Telugu has some visibility. But Kannada? Nothing,” the user added.
Others went even beyond, demanding projects to restore Kannada’s leadership status among young people. “The damage is irreversible. This generation is beyond retrieval. A focused effort will have to build a new generation of proud Kannadigas,” someone quipped.
A Greater Identity Crisis?
Some users mentioned that Karnataka and Kannada culture tend to get less attention than other South Indian states. “Even in North India, people know more about Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Karnataka hardly finds mention in national debate,” a tweet stated.
But others said that such lack of knowledge prevails throughout India. “If you go around asking people in Bengaluru what the official language of Mumbai is, most will reply as Hindi even though it is Marathi. This ignorance is not specific to Kannada,” mentioned a user.
Why Is Kannada Losing Visibility in Bengaluru?
Bengaluru’s explosive development as a technology hub has attracted migrants from all over India, so it’s also a linguistic melting pot. With so many migrants, languages such as Hindi, Tamil, and English have become omnipresent, frequently to the detriment of Kannada. This has been a long-running grievance among the natives, who resent their cultural identity being threatened.
It is not the first time that this issue has been raised. There have been campaigns over the years compelling businesses and institutions to employ Kannada on signboards and in communications. Even so, the language continues to fight for dominance in its own capital.
The viral video has once again sparked controversy about linguistic conservation within a globalizing city. This is not a language problem, but a problem of cultural identity for many Kannadigas. As Bengaluru flourishes as an international city, the question persists: How can Kannada co-exist with the city’s complex linguistic landscape and not get submerged?
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