The debate over the Kannada language has intensified on social media in recent years. Zoho CEO Sridhar Vembu recently added fuel to the fire by advising people living in Bengaluru to learn Kannada, claiming that not doing so is “disrespectful.” His comments were in response to a viral post featuring two men wearing T-shirts with “Hindi National Language” printed on them, with the caption, “Perfect T-shirt for a Bangalore trip.”
Vembu responded, saying, “I agree with this sentiment. You should learn Kannada if you move to Bengaluru, and your kids should learn it too. It is impolite to not do so after years of residing in Bengaluru. I often encourage our employees from other states in Chennai to make an effort to learn Tamil once they arrive here.”
The post, which has amassed over a million views, sparked a lively debate. One user pointed out, “I have many Kannada-speaking friends in Mumbai who have been living here for decades, and not one of them speaks Marathi. Is that fair?” Another commented, “Simply being open and curious about the language and culture is enough; things will improve from there.”
However, others disagreed. One user stated, “That’s crazy. You can’t equate moving to another country with relocating within the same country,” one comment noted. Another person added, “That seems immature. While disrespecting any language or culture is unacceptable, not learning a language isn’t the same as being disrespectful. The logic doesn’t add up.”
In a related development, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, during Kannada Rajyostava celebrations, announced that the state government would ensure products manufactured in Karnataka are labeled in Kannada. Our goal is to establish a culture in Karnataka where Kannada is learned and used on a daily basis. We shall honor the language in this way,” he declared.