One more incident of Local Language Issue, Canara Bank Employee asked to speak Kannada
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Once again, the issue of language in public services has come into the spotlight in Karnataka. This time, a Canara Bank employee is at the centre of a controversy after a customer reportedly demanded that the staff member speak in Kannada, the local language of the state.
A video of the incident has gone viral, showing a Kannada-speaking woman arguing with a Canara Bank employee in Chikkamagaluru. The woman, visibly upset, claimed that she was not being helped properly because the staff member did not speak Kannada and instead communicated in Malayalam.
“Why is she working here if she can’t speak Kannada?” the woman is heard asking in the video.
One more incident of Local Language Issue in Government Banks in India. Canara Bank Employee asked to speak on Kannada Language. @canarabank pic.twitter.com/uMJrTQlSjk
— Hellobanker (@Hellobanker_in) July 5, 2025
She further accused the employee of deducting money from her account without prior notice, and when she tried to ask about it, she said the staff member responded rudely and avoided giving a proper answer.
In the video, the customer can be seen arguing with the staff while the bank manager and another official converse in Malayalam. Another employee tried to mediate, but the situation remained tense. The conversation caught on camera quickly spread on social media, drawing thousands of reactions.
People online are divided. Some supported the customer, saying that every citizen has the right to be served in their local language, especially in a government bank. Others, however, felt that the woman was unnecessarily aggressive and may have recorded the video to stir up controversy.
“She’s already getting help in Kannada. Then why the drama?” one user commented.
“Public sector banks are for all Indians, and customers deserve respect and service in their own language,” said another.
The Reality of All India Service Jobs
This incident raises an important question:
Can we expect every public servant or bank employee to speak the local language wherever they are posted?
Banks like Canara Bank, State Bank of India, and others are part of the All India Services. Employees are often posted in states other than their home states. While it’s helpful (and ideal) for staff to know the local language, it’s not always practical or immediately possible, especially when staff are transferred every few years across the country.
However, communication gaps do matter, especially when customers are struggling to understand banking procedures or dispute transactions. In such cases, banks usually try to ensure that at least some staff members speak the local language. Instead of creating chaos at branches, customers should speak to the higher authorities who monitor and control branches.
It’s really disturbing to know that customers are responding in such a way which should be strongly condemned. They must understand the problems of staff when they don’t know the local language
There must be FIR against the woman making video and trying to decide nation on language. Breaching restricted area protocol. Putting a public servant / officer into threat. She is making drama just make the issue sencessional. She is not ready to listen other staff who is willing to offer information in Kannada . Because of recent drama BLO vacancy came. unions / stavs were aclbke to shoot their mischievous agenda to be at one place on the name of language.
Please go to Kerala and try to speak in Kannada only and then see what happens.
All Government IAS/IPS officers are also on All India service, but they have mandatorily learn the local language to serve people irrespective of their mi their tongue. And why separate rule for bank officers? I have worked in several states, when I was in the bank, but tried to dispense service in the local language to the best of my ability. People should make efforts coming out of their comfort zone. The best way to do is see the local language movies so that it helps to pick up the local language.
Out front liar detected. You cannot learn a language in a day. It takes time and such incidents may happen at your learning stage. If u really worked in bank you might have sympathized with her rather than judging that she or others don’t make efforts so stop bull**tting. Mr liar.
Bank officers have transfers for every 3 years. In their service they can serve in atleast 3-4 different states. It is not possible to learn each and every local language during their period of service. If they do it, time is wasted in learning languages. Service to public/organisation is important than learning languages. IAS/IPS officers are posted to any 1 state for their entire service. Except for few years ( mandatory to serve in central departments) they spend around 30 years in only 1 state. Also Bank officer’s total salary is half of IAS/IPS salary for the respective cadre but work is tight 10 hrs per day. They have to take care of other important things after coming from bank. It is practically impossible for any human being to learn each and every local language they work in.
Such incident make the life of the employees under threat by local language lunatics. Learning a language takes time as Kannada is difficult to learn for non kannada speakers, which can be understood by common sense. For alloting posts only to locals, government and employer has to change the policies, which will never happen.
This type of matters are very disturbing, And can be dangerous, these can be agenda to divide Nation, Central Government must take Action.
As far as ias/ips are concerned, if u had even slightest of brains you would have known that they are allotted a state cadre and don’t have to jump state to state unlike bankers. So u r not really a banker.
We should respect each language. But sometime we are not able to learn all indian language. So now bank management should think about this issue and try to avoid transfer people from North to south vice versa.