Latest news with #KANNADA
Indian Express
21-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Bengaluru customer demands bank manager speak Kannada, she declines; video sparks debate: ‘This is India, I'll speak in Hindi'
The Kannada language dispute at an SBI branch in Chandapura, a suburb in South Bengaluru, has triggered widespread backlash after a video of a confrontation between a customer and a bank manager was widely circulated on social media. The now-viral video shows the customer repeatedly urging the bank official to speak in Kannada, while the manager firmly refuses. The exchange quickly escalates, becoming a flashpoint in the ongoing debate around local language use in public services. 'Wait a second, this is Karnataka,' the customer says. 'You have not given me employment,' the bank manager responds. The customer in question goes on to say, 'This is Karnataka, madam,' to which the bank manager replies, 'So? This is India.' As the video progresses, the customer goes on to say, 'Kannada first, madam.' 'I will not speak Kannada for you,' the bank manager says. Despite the manager's refusal, the customer persists, 'So you will never speak in Kannada?' The bank manager says, 'No. I will speak Hindi.' The standoff continues for several minutes, with the conversation reduced to a back-and-forth, 'Hindi-Kannada'. Frustrated, the customer reminds the official of existing rules. 'Madam, this is Karnataka, you should speak Kannada. It's not about the chairman. There is an RBI rule that in that particular state, you must speak the respective language,' he says. 'I will never speak Kannada,' the bank manager says. To this, the customer responds, 'Super, madam, super.' Watch here: I WILL NOT SPEAK KANNADA IN KARNATAKA, NEVER, SPEAK IN HINDI. @TheOfficialSBI Branch manager SBI, surya nagara, anekal taluk KARNATAKA Your Branch manager and staff disrespect the Kannada language, imposing hindi on people of karnataka, misbehaving with customers,on duty times… — ಗುರುದೇವ್ ನಾರಾಯಣ್ 💛❤️ GURUDEV NARAYAN🌿 (@Gurudevnk16) May 20, 2025 The incident has fueled a debate over language, with many on social media slamming the customer for imposing the Kannada language on the bank manager. 'We are unnecessarily fighting Pakistan, we have enough reasons to get divided internally,' a user wrote. 'But let's be clear: you can't force someone to speak a particular language. If SBI transfers a Hindi-speaking employee to Bengaluru, that's not their fault. Expecting basic respect is fair — harassment and hate isn't,' another user commented. 'Services are to be served in local/customer understandable language. There's no substitute to that,' a third user said.
Hindustan Times
21-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Viral video: 'Language warrior' demands SBI employee to speak in Kannada, she says ‘No'
A viral video purportedly showing an SBI bank official in Karnataka and a customer has added fuel to the already-existing language row. In the video, the customer insists that the official should speak in Kannada, and she retorts that she won't speak the local language. Following the backlash, the woman issued an apology video. ' WILL NOT SPEAK KANNADA IN KARNATAKA, NEVER, SPEAK IN HINDI. @TheOfficialSBI Branch manager SBI, surya nagara, anekal taluk KARNATAKA. Your Branch manager and staff disrespect the Kannada language, imposing Hindi on people of Karnataka, misbehaving with customers, on duty times, not giving service, violated or not following. @RBI rules and guidelines. I urge take action immediately. @nsitharaman,' wrote an X user while posting a video of the row between the official and the customer. In the video, the man recording the video says, 'This is Karnataka, ma'am.' The woman replies, 'This is India.' She continues, 'I will not speak Kannada first,' adding that her mother tongue is Hindi. has reached out to SBI for an official remark on the matter. The report will be updated when the bank responds. In another video, the woman is seen speaking in Kannada with the help of her colleagues. She says, 'If I have hurt anyone, I sincerely apologise. I will try to cooperate and conduct my business in Kannada going forward.' The language row erupted with a post that warned "outsiders in Bengaluru" to learn the language. Following this, people flooded social media with numerous opinionated reactions. While some spoke in favour of speaking Kannada in Karnataka, others argued it's not possible for people to learn various languages spoken in different corners of India. The row also sparked a war of words about North India and South India on social media.
News18
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Police Pressure, Impending Ban From Kannada Films Prompt Sonu Nigam To Apologise For 'Inappropriate' Remarks
Before issuing the apology, six hours ago, he offered a detailed explanation about his comments at the performance. Bengaluru police said their investigation 'prima facie" indicates that Sonu Nigam may have offended Kannadigas. 'The performance of the singer on the 25th at East Point College has been carefully reviewed. Prima facie, it appears that an audience member requested a Kannada song, and what the singer said in response was inappropriate and hurt the sentiments of Kannadigas. We are now analysing videos from various sources and also speaking to the organisers of the event," Bengaluru Superintendent of Police (Rural) CK Baba told News18, adding that the police have issued a notice to the singer to appear before the investigating officer within the next seven days. The controversy, meanwhile, has snowballed with both Nigam and the pro-Kannada organisation, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), digging in their heels over the video of what transpired during the show. In his first statement – a video – Nigam said he felt 'threatened" and that a group of boys heckled him. In his second statement, he said: 'I leave it up to the sensible people of Karnataka to decide who is at fault here. I will accept your verdict gracefully. I fully respect and trust the law agencies and police of Karnataka and will comply with whatever is expected from me." The KRV, after lodging a complaint against the singer, submitted a memorandum to the Karnataka director general of police seeking 'the immediate arrest of Sonu Nigam for his insulting remarks against Kannadigas and for connecting it with the Pahalgam incident". The Bengaluru rural police have filed an FIR and served a notice to the singer to appear for investigation within a week. 'We have made three demands. First, arrest Sonu Nigam immediately. Second, conduct a thorough investigation into the matter and ensure such incidents are prevented in the future. Third, legal action should be taken immediately against any person who makes irresponsible, divisive, derogatory, and insulting statements against Kannadigas," said KRV president Narayan Gowda. 'He has made such an offensive statement linking Pahalgam – why can't he apologise to the crores of Kannadigas?" questioned Arun Javagal, organising secretary of KRV. Nigam's explanation, posted on social media, gives details of the incident. In an earlier video, he had said there was a need to 'teach the boys who spoke rudely, a lesson" when they asked him to sing songs in Kannada. The post, however, skirts the Pahalgam reference, but he insists he is a 'patriot" and not someone who will accept humiliation from anyone. Here's what he said: 'I'VE REVERED KANNADA SONGS MORE THAN OTHERS' His long note begins with: 'Namaskara, I have given unprecedented love to the language, the culture, the music, the musicians, the state, and the people – not just when I am in Karnataka but anywhere else in the world. In fact, I have revered my Kannada songs way more than my songs in other languages, including Hindi. There are hundreds of videos circulating on social media as testimony. I have more than an hour's worth of Kannada songs that I prepare for every concert in Karnataka." 'NOT A YOUNG LAD TO TAKE HUMILIATION FROM ANYONE' 'I am not a young lad to take humiliation from anyone. I am 51 years old, in the second half of my life, and am entitled to take offence at someone as young as my son threatening me directly in front of thousands – in the name of a language that too is my second language when it comes to my work. That too, right after my first song of the concert! He provoked a few more. Their own people were embarrassed and were asking them to shut up. I told them very politely and lovingly that the show had just started, it was my first song, and that I will not let them down – but they have to let me continue the concert the way I have planned. Every artist has a song list prepared so the musicians and technicians are in sync. But they were hell-bent on creating a ruckus and threatening me wildly. Tell me, who is at fault?" the note stated. advetisement
