Latest news with #AlphanumeroAgency&Studio
News18
26-05-2025
- Business
- News18
Entrepreneur Says Controversies In Karnataka Over Kannada ‘Terrible PR' For Bengaluru
Last Updated: Delhi-based entrepreneur Abhijit Chakraborty said conversations must not end up "being a culture war". The language debate in Bengaluru has once again sparked a wider conversation and how it's affecting the city's image. A Delhi-based entrepreneur says these recurring debates over Kannada language in India's Silicon Valley are doing 'terrible PR" for the state's capital. Abhijit Chakraborty, founder of Alphanumero Agency & Studio, shared his views on LinkedIn, calling language nothing more than a basic tool for communication. 'Any language, in everyday life, is simply a means to communicate," he wrote, adding that people usually figure out a way to understand each other even when they don't share a common tongue. Citing an example, Chakraborty said that if someone from Chennai is trying to hail an auto in Delhi and that interaction turned into a cultural standoff, he said, 'you'd never reach your destination." Chakraborty also pointed to his time in Delhi, where even after knowing Bengali, Hindi and English, he had to get familiar with Punjabi. 'Because it's everywhere," he said. Even without fluency, he picked up enough to understand conversations and respond in his own way and was helped in part by his interest in Sikh history. The same, he argued, applies to Kannada. People who stay in Bengaluru long enough, and who feel drawn to the language, will naturally learn it. 'Shoving a language down someone's throat never works," he added. His post struck a chord with many. One commenter said she had been married to a Kannadiga for four years but only knows a few Kannada words. Still, she's slowly learning to follow conversations. 'Language should be a bridge, not a battleground," she wrote. 'These culture wars only distract from the real issues." The LinkedIn post comes days after a video from an SBI branch in Bengaluru's Chandapura area showed a bank manager refusing to speak Kannada, insisting: 'This is India, I'll speak Hindi, not Kannada." The video triggered backlash from pro-Kannada activists and politicians. The manager was later transferred, and both he and the bank issued apologies. Language advocates say learning Kannada is a matter of respect. Critics argue it's not that simpl, especially in a city as diverse and cosmopolitan as Bengaluru. First Published: May 26, 2025, 19:57 IST
NDTV
26-05-2025
- Business
- NDTV
"Terrible PR For Bengaluru": Delhi Entrepreneur On Kannada Language Row
Quick Read Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. A Delhi entrepreneur warned that ongoing language disputes harm Bengaluru's image. He emphasised communication over cultural battles and suggested that language learning should be organic. A Delhi-based entrepreneur expressed concern that recurring incidents over the Kannada language were doing "terrible PR" for Bengaluru. Abhijit Chakraborty, Founder Partner at Alphanumero Agency & Studio, said that people often figured out a "common way to communicate" in situations where they couldn't understand each other, "Any language, in everyday life, is simply a means to communicate," Mr Chakraborty wrote in a LinkedIn post. He gave an example of a person from Chennai trying to book an auto ride in Delhi, suggesting that if conversations ended up "being a culture war", the individual would never reach the desired location. Next, Mr Chakraborty shared his experience of living in the national capital. Despite being fluent in Bengali, Hindi and English, he had to pick a fourth one (Punjabi) to speak with others "because it's everywhere in Delhi," he added. Even though he was not fluent in Punjabi, Mr Chakraborty said he could understand it and try to respond with his "own version of the language." Mr Chakraborty believed that "non-Kannadigas" in Bengaluru would learn the Kannada language if they stayed "long enough", and if they felt "an inclination towards it." He noted that he started speaking Punjabi through random conversations and had a general interest in Sikh history and heritage. "Shoving a language down someone's throat never works," he added. In the comments section of the viral post, multiple people agreed with Mr Chakraborty's suggestion. A woman said she can't speak "more than a couple of words in Kannada," despite being married to a "Kannadiga" for four years. She added that she started picking up the meaning of conversations with time. "Language should be a bridge, not a battleground. These culture wars around language often just distract from the real issues," she added. Another person said the "only way to make another person learn your language is to make it cool." A third user wrote that this "aggressive" imposition of culture in the name of "promoting and safeguarding" shall "never ever" work. Mr Chakraborty's post came days after a manager at the SBI branch in Bengaluru's Chandapura refused to speak with a customer in Kannada, saying, "This is India, I'll speak Hindi, not Kannada." The viral video soon drew sharp criticism from activists of the language and political leaders. Later, the manager was transferred, while both the bank and the person issued apologies. In recent weeks, the advocates for the language suggested people learn it to respect the local culture. However, critics argued such an expectation was exclusionary, especially in a cosmopolitan city.
