The Kannada language row shows no signs of slowing down. Back in May 2025, the controversy erupted when a non-Kannada-speaking SBI manager went viral for refusing to communicate with a customer in the local language. Now, a fresh incident from a Canara Bank branch in Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka, has reignited the debate over the use of regional languages in public services.
A video circulating online shows a Kannada-speaking woman confronting a bank official who was unable to assist her in Kannada. The woman, who says she doesn’t understand English, questions the presence of a Malayalam-speaking staffer at the counter, asking, “Why is she here if she can’t understand Kannada?” The video also captures the manager conversing in Malayalam with another staff member while the customer demands an explanation for an unnotified deduction from her account.
“She didn’t even speak to me politely,” the woman is heard saying in Kannada. “When I tried to ask about it, she started making strange faces,” she added. The bank official, trying to calm the situation, replied, “You weren’t polite either.”
The bank drew sharp criticism from members of the pro-Kannada group Kannada Sene, who condemned the deployment of non-Kannada-speaking staff in customer-facing roles, particularly in rural areas where many residents are farmers and may not be proficient in Hindi or English. The group demanded that the bank immediately appoint Kannada-speaking personnel to ensure effective communication.
In response to the mounting public outrage, the bank issued a statement on its official X handle, saying: “Kannada is our foundation, your support is our strength. For Canara Bank, Karnataka is not just a state, it is our birthplace. Kannada is not merely a language to us, it is a feeling, a pride. We are committed to providing services in the local language at every branch in the state.”
