It is natural to have a fondness for a regional language, but it can lead to issues when taken too far. For a long time, there have been strong discussions in Karnataka about promoting the Kannada language and prioritizing jobs for Kannadigas. However, Bengaluru, known as the hub of India’s IT industry and startup economy, is reportedly losing its reputation due to rising incidents of linguistic discrimination.

Recently, Kaushik Mukherjee, the founder of a Bengaluru-based tech company, addressed the issue. He revealed that his company’s office in Bengaluru will be closed in six months and operations will be shifted to Pune. The move comes after several employees reported challenges stemming from language-related discrimination. Mukherjee stated that the company felt compelled to respond to the growing conflict over the Kannada language, which was creating difficulties for its team. The decision to shift locations was made based on employee feedback.

In a recent incident that sparked controversy, a State Bank manager was transferred after a customer complained that she did not speak Kannada. Mukherjee expressed concern that his employees could face similar targeting in the future. He said the request to relocate was initiated by the employees themselves, and after understanding their concerns, the company concluded that moving out of Bengaluru was the right step.

Netizens reacted to this development with mixed views. One person suggested relocating to Hyderabad, noting that language is not a major issue there. Another pointed out that Pune is in Maharashtra, where Marathi is the dominant language, and expressed support for the Kannadigas. Others offered advice to shift operations to cities where Hindi is more commonly spoken. One commenter recommended moving to Gurugram or Haryana, stating that such problems would not arise there.