In a response to Bengaluru’s escalating language tensions, city-based tech entrepreneur Kaushik Mukherjee has announced plans to shut down his company’s operations in the city and relocate to Pune within six months. The move, he said, comes amid mounting pressure on non-Kannada-speaking staff and what he described as “language nonsense.”
Mukherjee stated that the idea of relocating was first raised by his employees, who felt increasingly uncomfortable in the current linguistic climate. “I don’t want them to become victims,” he said, adding that he supported their concerns and would act accordingly.
The announcement has triggered a wave of reactions on social media platform X, where users debated the implications of the decision. While some expressed sympathy, others pointed out that Pune may not be entirely immune to similar issues. “In Pune, there’s a risk of your staff getting roughed up by MNS for not speaking Marathi,” one user cautioned.
Several users suggested cities like Gandhinagar or Noida as safer alternatives “where no one cares about language,” while others used sarcasm to express approval: “Good riddance. Thank you for helping decongest our beloved city.”
One user offered pragmatic advice: “Meanwhile, ask your non-Marathi staff to learn Marathi while you move to Pune.”
The backdrop to the controversy includes a recent incident involving a State Bank of India (SBI) manager in Bengaluru, who allegedly refused to speak Kannada to a customer. The episode sparked outrage among Kannada speakers, leading to demands for disciplinary action and reigniting long-standing debates around linguistic respect and inclusivity in the state.
As tensions continue to simmer, Mukherjee’s decision has become a flashpoint in the broader conversation about language, identity, and inclusivity in India’s rapidly urbanizing tech hubs.