Kannada Raksha Vedhike held a protest on Wednesday demanding all businesses and enterprises in Karnataka put nameplates in Kannada. Last week, a demonstration was held by Kannada Raksha Vedhike outside shops in Bengaluru. The agitators urged that shop signboards prominently display Kannada, advocating for a minimum of 65 percent of the signage to be written in the local language.
According to ANI, Kannada Raksha Vedhike holds a protest demanding all businesses and enterprises in Karnataka to put nameplates in Kannada.
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The activists took out rallies in various parts of the city, especially in the business hubs such as MG Road, Brigade Road, Lavelle Road, UB City, Chamarajapet, Chickpet, Kempe Gowda Road, Gandhi Nagar, St Marks Road, Cunningham Road, Residency Road and Sadahalli Gate near Devanahalli.
The activists expressed their displeasure, targeting numerous malls, shops, commercial buildings, companies, and factories, particularly multinational corporations.
The pro-Kannada activists argued that the core of Karnataka's culture lies in its language, emphasizing that the visibility of Kannada on signboards is crucial for regional pride and identity. Additionally, they advocated for the translation of brand logos into Kannada, asserting that such measures would enhance a sense of community and inclusivity among the local population.
Bengaluru civic body enforced the requirement of using Kannada on name boards for hotels, malls, and other businesses. They said that strict actions would be implemented against establishments failing to comply.
Given Bengaluru's extensive network of 1400 km of roads, a thorough survey is likely to be conducted to pinpoint businesses adhering to Kannada language guidelines on their signboards.
This directive follows a recent incident in Chickpete where a pro-Kannada group caused disruption, expressing language concerns by targeting Marwari vendors.