• Source:JND
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A video from Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka, has stirred a major debate online, showing a customer confronting a Canara Bank employee who allegedly couldn’t communicate in Kannada. The confrontation, captured on video, highlights the growing public frustration over language barriers in essential services. “Why is she here if she can’t understand Kannada?” the woman is heard asking in the clip, which has now gone viral.

The video, seemingly filmed by the customer, captures her tense exchange with the bank staff, who reportedly spoke Malayalam. The woman, who claimed she didn’t understand English, appeared upset over an unexplained deduction from her account and expressed anger over the lack of assistance in the local language.

According to the customer, the employee was not only unhelpful but also disrespectful. “She wasn’t even cordial with me. When I tried asking, she started making weird faces,” she said. At one point, the bank manager is seen speaking to another official in Malayalam, ignoring the customer’s repeated questions about her account.

As the argument escalates, another bank employee steps in, attempting to mediate. However, the intervention also included a mild rebuke of the customer’s behaviour, "You were not cordial either," the official says in the video, as reported by Hindustan Times.

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Social Media Divided Over Incident

As the video circulated widely, social media erupted with mixed reactions. While some users sided with the woman, supporting her demand for service in Kannada, others accused her of creating a scene for attention.

“What do you want, information or a viral video?” one user asked sarcastically. Another commented, “Someone is already assisting her in Kannada. What’s the problem then?”

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Several netizens questioned the customer’s intent, accusing her of trying to manufacture controversy rather than resolving the banking issue. “But someone is assisting and speaking to her in Kannada and giving her the INFO right… What do you need – INFORMATION or just create ruckus and make an issue out of nothing??? Goal doesn’t seem to be to do banking business but to make a video,” one person wrote.

Despite the criticism, many others supported the customer and expressed concern about the bank's recruitment policies and service quality. Numerous users stressed that public-facing institutions should prioritise hiring staff fluent in the local language.

“As customers, we expect to be served respectfully and in a language we’re comfortable with. After all, it’s our money that keeps the bank running. Public sector banks like Canara Bank were nationalised to serve all citizens, not just a few,” one social media user noted.

“I support Kannadigas,” another user wrote, while one questioned, “Why are locals not being given job opportunity?”

The incident has reopened the ongoing discussion around language inclusivity in public services, especially in regions with strong linguistic identities like Karnataka. While India is a multilingual country, the lack of Kannada-speaking staff in banks and government offices often leaves locals feeling alienated and ignored.