‘I'd speak English in Bengaluru, not Kannada': Viral post says no point learning languages of poor economies

Hindustan Times

a day ago

A post on X (formerly Twitter) has gone viral for dismissing Indian regional languages like Kannada and Tamil as not worth learning, calling them the languages of 'poorer economies' with 'poor quality of life.' The post, now widely circulated, has triggered a wave of backlash, especially from users in southern cities like Bengaluru and Chennai.(Wiki)
The post, now widely circulated, has triggered a wave of backlash, especially from users in southern cities like Bengaluru and Chennai.
'If I moved to Japan, I would learn Japanese. If I moved to China, I would learn Chinese. If I moved to Bangalore, I would rather speak English. If I moved to Chennai, I would rather speak English. No point in learning languages of poorer economies and poorer quality of life,' the post read.
The user further claimed that language discussions are 'overrated' and went as far as asking companies to limit investments in these cities to small-scale industries to avoid what they described as 'language harassment' against migrants.
The sweeping generalization, implying that Indian languages are not worth the effort compared to those in wealthier nations, didn't sit well with many.
Reactions from X users
The post sparked intense debate, with users from across the country slamming the language elitism and tone-deaf take on regional identity.
'There are enough people who act civil, learn and respect local languages. Even foreigners do it fluently and proudly,' one user wrote.
'Cities like Chennai and Bengaluru have enough locals to do most of the jobs. They don't need many migrants,' another added.
'We're happy to speak in English. Just don't expect us to learn Hindi,' read one comment that turned the debate towards the larger Hindi-versus-regional language tension in urban India.
Another user defended the post, saying: 'Language harassment is getting out of hand. People should live how they want. If city dwellers have a problem with it, then it's not a proper city, just an overgrown town.'
Language has long been a sensitive and political issue in cities like Bengaluru and Chennai, where regional pride over Kannada and Tamil often clashes with increasing migration and the dominance of English and Hindi.
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