Pro Kannada activists protest Hindi on BMTC boards

Bengaluru: Since the population in the city is increasing and more of non Kannadigas are settling down in the city. Migrants have raised an online campaign asking the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) to put up signboards in Hindi in its buses.

“I came to Bengaluru recently and I use BMTC buses regularly. I am happy that destination boards are in English, but I have observed that there are some instructions inside buses, like how to access free wi-fi and such, which are in Kannada. People like me, who don’t know Kannada, find it difficult to get the information. Can we not have such information in Kannada, English and Hindi,” asked a commuter, Shankar (name changed).

However, the pro Kannada activists have stirred up against this and have instead suggested the non kannadaigas to learn the language.

The activists have been protesting against this from long. They were seen protesting the Hindi signboards outside Metro stations.

Recently, they defaced English and Hindi nameplates of a restaurant at a mall near Bengaluru’s Eco Tech Park.

Hindi-speaking people form only 2 per cent of the population. BMTC and KSRTC have no Hindi on their signboards, and this should continue. We hope that the government will not pay heed to such demands,” said Mr Akshay R., youth wing vice-president of Jaya Karnataka, Bengaluru.