Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) activists visited multiple Bengaluru IT and biotech companies on Monday, 2 November, pressing them for workforce composition data and faster hiring of Kannadigas, even as Chief Minister DK Shivakumar had publicly urged pro-Kannada groups not to approach firms directly.
The month-long “Namma Naadu Namma Udyoga” campaign began on 1 November, coinciding with Kannada Rajyotsava. KRV teams of about 10 members each have been visiting corporate campuses in Bellandur, Magadi Road and other IT clusters, submitting memoranda that seek the share of local employees in each firm, hiring data for the last three years, and recruitment criteria. A delegation led by state vice-president Veerabhadra visited Hewlett Packard Enterprise at B Narayanapura in KR Puram, while another team called on representatives at Bagmane Tech Park in CV Raman Nagar.
KRV said in a statement that the meetings on Monday were cordial. “The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike will not accept an approach in which companies focus solely on expanding their business operations in Karnataka while ignoring the employment concerns of Kannadigas,” the organisation said in its memorandum. KRV state president TA Narayana Gowda had earlier said Kannada-speaking IT professionals had been raising concerns over job insecurity and alleged discrimination in recruitment.
Shivakumar reiterated the government’s position on Friday, 31 October. “We will not tolerate any deliberate discrimination against the youth of our state, and appropriate action will be taken,” he said, as Deccan Herald reported. He also appealed to pro-Kannada groups not to take matters into their own hands, a request KRV did not accept.
The CM’s original warning came on 25 October. In a social media post, Shivakumar had stated: “It is disheartening to hear complaints that Kannadigas are being denied job opportunities in Bengaluru’s IT companies. In Karnataka, the Kannadiga is sovereign.” Officials at the state secretariat have clarified that the warning concerns alleged exclusion in current hiring, not a new reservation policy.
The campaign revives the debate around the Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in Industries, Factories and Other Establishments Bill, 2024, which had proposed significant reservation for Kannadigas in private-sector roles. KRV said it will consolidate the data it collects through November and present it to the state government.
