What’s in a name, you may ask. A lot, say a group of self proclaimed activists in the state of Karnataka who are taking their battle for Kannada language signages at retail shops and establishments, quite literally to the streets.
Several shop signages in the city’s marquee shopping districts such as MG Road, Brigade Road, Lavelle Road and St Marks Road were damaged by the over enthusiastic activists.
The group also entered and damaged siganges at the recently inaugurated Mall of Asia at Hebbal, located on the busy Devanahalli Airport Road.
TA Narayana Gowda, convener of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) told reporters, “As per rule, 60 per cent of signboards and nameplates should be in Kannada. We are not against some business but if you are doing business in Karnataka then you have to respect our language. If you ignore Kannada, or put Kannada letters in small (print), we will not let you operate here.”
Activists of KRV were seen telling shopkeepers that not having local language shop boards was undermining the official state language Kannada. Bangalore Police took several activists, including Gowda into preventive custody.
Tushar Giri Nath, Chief of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) said commercial stores in the civic body’s jurisdiction had time till 28 Feb ‘24 to comply, failing which they could face legal action, including suspension of business licences.
Retailers Association of India, on the other hand took to social media to share an open letter addressed to Dr. Rajneesh Goel, Chief Secretary of Karnataka. The letter said that RAI has 13,667 members across India who operate over 5 lakh shops and employ 5 Crore people.
The letter said that its members fully acknowledge and respect the cultural sentiments of Karnataka and the importance of promoting the Kannada language.
The letter reminded that the matter of 60% size of the signage in local language was protested by the association in the court of law and that the Hon’ble High Court of Karnataka had restrained the BBMP from taking any coercive action in this matter. The stay order is pending and is awaiting final resolution from the Court, it said.
In October this year, the Chief Minister of the state Mr. Siddaramaiah had said that all those living in the state must learn the local language. “We are all Kannadigas. People speaking different languages have settled in here (and) everyone living in this state should learn to speak Kannada“, he had said.
The verdict is still out from the most important piece of this puzzle – the customers.
In a cosmopolitan city like Bengaluru (or Bangalore), touted as India’s very own Silicon Valley, it doesn’t really matter in what language the shop’s names or signages are, as long as they offer value to customers.
Emotions attached to one’s language and home land and the political backdrop which are inflammatory at times, are the causes of such high voltage reaction from factions, time to time.
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