New Delhi: A ‘public awareness protest’ turned violent in Bengaluru on Wednesday and the pro-Kannada groups went on a rampage damaging commercial shops with English signage. Many parts of the city witnessed incidents of vandalism as pro-Kannada groups resorted to violence while demanding the implementation of 60% Kannada language on the signboards.
Karnataka Rakshna Vedike (KRV), a pro-Kannada body was at the center of protest. Its volunteers took out a long protest in various parts of Bengaluru with demands that signboards & nameplates on the commercial shops & other businesses be mentioned in the native language.
The protesters took out signboards from shops, without mention of Kannada language while defaced the one which didn’t have any Kannada sign. At some places, they sprayed ink on the English signage.
Political watchers saw this as a fallout of the language row escalating into full-blow divide and further enhancing the faultlines that already existed over language between North & South.
Pro Kannada activists demanding
60% Kannada on Signboards, vandalise properties commercial establishments with English signboards and deface name boards near Sadahalli toll plaza in Bengaluru. Similar vandalism seen in different parts of Bengaluru City.#Bengaluru pic.twitter.com/0YSjm4iydh— Akshara D M (@Aksharadm6) December 27, 2023
Who is behind violent protests?
KRV state president TA Narayan Gowda, under whose leadership the outfit members hit the roads said that the purpose was to alert the commercial establishments about bringing change from English to Kannada signange & billboards.
#WATCH | Bengaluru: Kannada Raksha Vedhike holds a protest demanding all businesses and enterprises in Karnataka to put nameplates in Kannada. pic.twitter.com/ZMX5s9iJd0
— ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2023
The violent protests also unfolded at some noted commercial establishments. The Mall of Asia in Bengaluru saw violence as KRV members broke flower pots and also the English letter in signboards.
McDonald’s outlet near Sadahalli toll plaza also faced the brunt of violent protests. Visuals showed some men & women trying to dismantle English letter from signages.
#WATCH | Police detained members of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, protesting to deliver messages to owners of many malls, shops, commercial buildings, companies and factories, especially multinational companies to install Kannada sign boards and give more visibility to the Kannada… pic.twitter.com/tRjsPidLbB
— ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2023
What is Feb 28 deadline?
The violent protests over Kannada language comes on back of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s recent push for use of Kannada as the official language.
“Many people from other regions have settled here. Everyone living in the state should learn to speak Kannada,” he reportedly said.
For the uninitiated, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) chief commissioner has laid down guidelines & deadlines for its implementation. He recently asked all the commercial stores to have 60 percent of nameplates and signboards in Kannada.
“Those establishments or commercial operations that don’t fall in line by February 28, they will have to be ready for legal action,” he said.
