KRV to launch month-long campaign to seek IT jobs for Kannadigas

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) has announced a month-long campaign beginning on Kannada Rajyotsava Day to collect information from IT and BT companies across the State on employment opportunities provided to Kannadigas and to urge companies to give priority to local candidates.

In a statement, KRV State president TA Narayana Gowda said the organisation had received complaints that Kannadigas were not getting adequate employment opportunities in IT and BT companies operating in Karnataka. Kannada-speaking IT professionals have been openly expressing concerns over job insecurity, discrimination in recruitment and the alleged denial of opportunities to local candidates.

Against this backdrop, the KRV has decided to launch a major campaign to protect the employment rights of Kannadigas, he said. Several teams have been formed for the campaign, with each team comprising 10 office-bearers and activists. The teams will meet company heads, human resources officials and other responsible representatives and submit memorandums urging them to provide employment opportunities to Kannadigas.

The campaign will also examine complaints regarding the recruitment of Kannadigas in the IT-BT sector and gather detailed information. It will seek answers to questions such as the current status of Kannadiga recruitment, the criteria followed while hiring local candidates, why qualified Kannadigas are allegedly being denied opportunities and the reasons behind claims of discrimination in recruitment, Narayana Gowda said.

Apart from examining information provided by companies, the organisation will collect grievances from Kannada-speaking employees and job seekers. This, he said, would help establish the nature and extent of the problem and identify the need for corrective measures based on facts.

He urged company managements and human resources officials to cooperate with the campaign, respond transparently to questions concerning employment opportunities for Kannadigas and take necessary steps to ensure that local candidates are not treated unfairly.

The issue gained attention recently after a young woman alleged in a viral video that she was denied a job at an IT company because she had mentioned Kannada as her mother tongue. The video triggered widespread debate on social media, and Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar also responded

to the issue.

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The Hans India