Mohandas Pai slams 'arrogance' of outsiders refusing to speak Kannada: 'Show respect to locals'

Mohandas Pai (File)

Former Infosys director Mohandas Pai reiterated that professionals working in Karnataka should make an effort to learn Kannada amid the ongoing language controversy in the state.

In an interview to PTI, Pai said that officials dealing with public should respect the local community by learning the language and called their resistance to adopt Kannada as "arrogance".

Last month, Pai had heavily criticised a State Bank of India (SBI) branch manager in Karnataka for refusing to speak in Kannada, calling her conduct “very, very wrong” and equating it with colonial arrogance.

The remarks come at a time when the row over the use of Kannada in Bengaluru has caused tensions between locals and non-locals. Over the years, there have been growing concerns among locals about the perceived erosion of the language in public life.

"Bengaluru is the most welcoming place. The local population speaking Kannada is only 33 per cent. Lot of people have come, they've benefitted, they're doing very well," Pai told PTI.

Pai said that those from other states can speak a few words in Kannada, which will be a way of showing respect to the locals.

"Now, we have small problems because the people who come from outside, many of them become arrogant and refuse to speak a few words of Kannada. Speak a few words of Kannada, show respect to the local community. We must show respect to any community," Pai, Chairman of Aarin Capital, said.

He added that this approach is not just specific to Karnataka but also applies to other states like Bengal or Maharashtra. "Learning a few words of the local language would help outsiders connect with the community."

Speaking about the SBI controversy, Pai said that the whole episode could have been avoided.

"What she could have done is, because she's in a service job, say, sir, I'm sorry, I can't speak the language, I'm learning. I'll ask my colleague to help me out and be respectful. That's all that is required. Nothing else," he said.

Pai added that customer service professionals, especially in rural areas, must prioritise the customer's language and cultural context: "If you happen to be in a rural area, the customer cannot speak Hindi or English. You must speak the local language."

The incident unfolded at the SBI Surya Nagar branch near Bengaluru when a woman manager refused to speak in Kannada when asked by locals. The video of the incident went viral on social media.

In the footage, a customer can be heard requesting the bank official to converse in Kannada. The manager, however, is heard responding bluntly: “I will not speak in Kannada for sure,” and insisted on using Hindi instead.

The video drew widespread outrage from Kannada-speaking citizens and pro-Kannada groups, who demanded action against the bank employee. Following the public backlash, the manager issued an on-camera apology, but that did little to quell the storm.

Actor Kamal Haasan also got into trouble over his remark on Kannada, when he said that the language was born out of Tamil. As a result, his movie "Thug Life" was banned in Karnataka. However, the actor refused to apologise.

(With inputs from PTI)