Bengaluru man says language 'hate' exists only online: ‘We switch between Kannada, Telugu, Tamil'

Hindustan Times

2 days ago

A Bengaluru man, believed to be of Telugu origin, has sparked a heated debate after he shared a post on X defending the city's multilingual fabric and calling out what he described as "language hate" that exists only in online spaces. The post lamented that Telugu-speaking communities in Bengaluru have rarely felt the need to assert their identity.(X)
The trigger? His casual use of the word 'Luru' as a short form for Bengaluru, which drew backlash from some users who accused him of disrespecting Kannada identity. But the man was quick to clarify that the term wasn't meant to offend , it was simply a nostalgic carryover from high school days when limited SMS characters led to creative abbreviations like 'lore' for Bangalore. Over time, 'Luru' stuck, he said, and also felt linguistically natural, given how 'ooru' means town or city in Kannada, Telugu, and Tamil.
(Also Read: 'Paid ₹ 30 lakh in taxes, got no support': Bengaluru techie's layoff story divides internet) Check out his post here: X/TTHCollective(X)
"Looks like I've pissed off a lot of people by calling my own city 'Luru'," he wrote, adding that the criticism mainly comes from first or second-generation settlers, not from those who are native to the region.
'The OG 'Luru' people, Kannadigas, Telugus, Tamils, Marathis, Deccani speakers, aren't even bothered by this,' he wrote. 'We've always coexisted. We switch between Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, and Deccani effortlessly in daily life. This hostility is purely online.'
The man's post struck a chord with many, especially in a city like Bengaluru where language politics often flare up on social media, even as the reality on the ground remains largely multilingual and inclusive.
He argued that people who dismiss Telugu, Tamil, or Deccani speakers as outsiders often lack an understanding of Bengaluru's geography and cultural history. 'This city literally sits at the tri-junction of Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada regions,' he pointed out.
'Many of us have no home outside of Bangalore. Even if we accepted the 'migrant' label, we wouldn't know where we're from.'
He further lamented that Telugu-speaking communities in Bengaluru have rarely felt the need to assert their identity because they've always blended in with the local cultural ecosystem, something he believes has led to them being misunderstood as 'outsiders.'
(Also Read: 'Mangalore should be Bengaluru coastal': Outrage erupts over Karnataka's renaming spree, 'real-estate greed' slammed)