Former Infosys Director Criticizes SBI Manager for Refusing to Speak Kannada, Calls It “Very, Very Wrong”

The video of SBI Manager refusing to speak Kannada is going viral on social media. Now Former Infosys director TV Mohandas Pai has strongly criticized the manager for refusing to speak Kannada to a customer. Pai described the manager’s behavior as “very, very wrong” and compared it to colonial arrogance. He said that it’s very important to respect local languages and cultures.

What is the incident all about?

The incident happened at the SBI branch located in Surya Nagar, Anekal taluk, near Bengaluru. A video went viral on social media showing a woman SBI manager refusing to speak Kannada. In the video, a customer asked the bank official to communicate in Kannada. The manager replied firmly, “I will not speak in Kannada for sure,”.

This response caused a major backlash, especially among Kannada-speaking people and pro-Kannada groups, who demanded strict action against the bank employee. After facing public criticism, the manager apologised but the controversy continued.

Mohandas Pai Speaks Out on Language and Customer Respect

The issue caught the attention of many, including TV Mohandas Pai. On X (formerly Twitter), Pai responded to a post that defended the manager’s refusal to speak Kannada. Pai said, “Every business must serve its local customers in a language they understand. This is not the British Raj again. This is a service business.”

He clarified that the demand was not for fluency in Kannada but for basic communication out of respect for local customers. Pai asked, “Is learning about 200 simple words too difficult? Customers are not captives or subjects. This kind of arrogance is very, very wrong.”

Pai’s comments came in reply to a post by X user Tushar Gupta, who argued against requiring employees in national institutions to speak local languages. Gupta wrote, “It’s the State Bank of India, not the State Bank of Karnataka. The business of ‘learn the local language to work in the state’ cannot be allowed. We are Indians first. The Constitution has no such condition.”

This sparked a heated debate online. Pai responded by saying customer service jobs require some level of language accommodation. He added, “Nobody is asking them to write or read Kannada. But they must speak to customers in a language the customers understand. Every business must respect its customers.”

Strong Response from Karnataka Chief Minister

The controversy also drew a sharp response from Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. He condemned the behavior of the bank official and praised SBI’s quick action to address the matter. The Chief Minister said, “The behaviour of the bank official is strongly condemnable. Respecting the local language is respecting the people.”

Siddaramaiah confirmed that the employee had been transferred from the branch and called on the Union Finance Ministry to make cultural and language sensitivity training mandatory for all bank employees working across India.

He emphasized, “This is not just about Karnataka. It is about ensuring dignity and respect for local languages and cultures throughout the country.”