Ah, the great Indian city! The lack of urban infrastructure destroying the infrastructure of the human soul. By 2020 Mumbai will have a population of 20 million. Bangalore, already with 6.5 million inhabitants has seen phenomenal growth. 300 million Indians... Read The Article
Can we have Sagarika to reply to atleast two of the comments. It is always easier to write from behind a desk without having a feel of the situation. Assuming few things atleast with respect to karnataka cant be a generalised thing. Every north Indian who goes to Tamil Nadu learns and ensures that he is proficient to atleast speak in Tamil? care to reply why? and are there any voices of dissent being heard over there? One thing is for sure,
"MEDIA creates the NEWS, even though there isn't ONE"
I am not sure if we can expect Sagarika to reply to this post. Maybe, we can expect a reply....
( Posted: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 at 15:35 )
please do not get unnecessarily emotional man. this is a serious issue and should be looked at in the spirit instead of walk with blinkers of region on
( Posted by Aman on Thursday , May 08, 2008 at 10:01 )
Sumanta Deb
I think this post is an unabashed attempt to make a mountain (a " mountain range" would be the apt description)out of a mole hill. Equating the peace loving, sensitive, cultured Kannadiga community with linguistic zealots is wrong. Karnataka has always been multi-cultural, and multi-ethnic in its demographic composition, and Bangalore even more so. Bangalore, even before the IT boom, had a Tamil population of close to 25%, and a large Keralite and North Indian population.
I am a Bengali living in Bangalore for the last 8 years, and am amazed by the adaptability shown by the local populace towards people from other states, who have flooded Bangalore, particularly in the last 5 years. Regional chauvinism has never been part of the agenda of mainstream political discourse in the state, unlike Maharashtra. This is perhaps the only Indian city where one does not face any problem, if one is not able to converse in the local language.
apart from tremendously benefitting Kannadigas who are professionally educated, people also realize that the IT boom has not left "non-IT" locals untouched. There has been an all round increase in the number of service jobs in banking, insurance, BPOs, transport services, health resorts, spas, retail, retail supply chain; apart from allied IT functions like training, travel services to IT companies, technical writing, advertising etc.
Bangalore and Karnataka contribute more to the national economy than they get in return. In FY 2007-08, Bangalore alone (and not Karnataka) displaced NCR (Delhi and surrounding areas) and became the second highest contributor of personal Income Tax to the GOI kitty, after Mumbai, by paying Rs. 11,000 crores in 2007-08. However, the GOI does not plough back into any of the ongoing infrastructure projects (the elevated highway on Hosur Road), Namma Metro or the new proposed Ring Road. All these projects are private-public (state govt) partnership projects. The time has come to ask : WHY ?
( Posted: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 at 15:28 )
I am sure u no nothing about Mumbai and Maharashtrians and u have never been to Maharashtra....
( Posted by Devdatt on Friday , May 09, 2008 at 16:14 )
Som
Do we need to bring in people from outside for low paying jobs where high skills are not required. The problem starts there itself, because it deprives locals of their livelihood. more over it will seldom be a problem if you live in Rome like a roman. This should be understood by all those who make a living in Bangalore
( Posted: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 at 15:21 )
Harsha
Time to time, English Media has proved to be for classes rather than masses. They are the one who tried the seeds of feeling of Mumbaikar, Bangalorean, Delhite etc into the minds of reader and widen the bridge between the urban and rural minds. I think they are yet to realize that India is a land of villages and cities are nothing great. So separating Mumbai from Maharasthra or Bangalore from Karnataka wont lead to separate identity for the place. Instead of creating rifts and fuelling to political ambitions, they should go local and encourage people coming from outside to become part of local culture, customs etc. Anyone coming from UP, Bihar should become a Maharastrian or Kannadiga if he/she wants to lead a normal life. Expecting the convenience of home in terms of language, culture etc in new place is sheer stupidity. Also, expecting the local people to leave their customs n culture completely and adopt to immigrants is not in best interest. Any person settling in new place should learn to adopt new cultures, language , customs etc; its good for the brain too to learn new things as we grow.
( Posted: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 at 14:50 )
I totally disagree with you. India is a sovierign country and all people have the right to live where ever they want. Mumbai specifically was built by people from different class, creed, region and also country (not to forget the britishers). Mumbaikers pride in themselves and is not stopping any person from pursuing their religion. Its only fanatics like Raj Thackeray who tends to bring communal angle for votebank. Its time for marathi mannos to wake up
( Posted by Uday on Wednesday, May 07, 2008 at 19:35 )
Have you even read what the author is saying, instead of repeating the same worn-out "freedom to settle down anywhere in India" tripe. He is asking immigrants to adapt to the local traditions of the region once they show up.
( Posted by Vikram on Thursday , May 08, 2008 at 19:10 )
Lazith Aziz
We will just hope that the innocent migrant live peacefully and not fall prey to political motives and become martyr to the deadly deeds of the dreadful knights.
( Posted: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 at 13:59 )
Indi
Sagarika should observe that kannadigas wont beat up outsiders as in mumbai. True, during cauvery issue passions run high. But people dont man handle outsiders as happens in mumbai. Infact, kannadigas are narraowed out in every aspect in karnataka itself. A non kannadige manager would recruit only people from his place. Where as a kannadiga manager will recruit people from all over place. Non kannadiga managers prefer people only from his language, state etc. I have been a victim of a north Indian manager who recruited majority of employees from his part of India and out line kannadigas. It is obvious that when this happens people do protest. But kannadigas wont manhandle or attack people from outside. If that was the case, kannadigas would not have been a minority in there own state now.
( Posted: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 at 13:39 )
Indi u r very much true... even i ve been victim of this.. a North Indian HR will always prefers a candidate from North..
I was asked to move out of the company since i opened my mouth against this issue.. coz.. the management ppl were in support to the Northi HR.
( Posted by Madhu on Wednesday, May 07, 2008 at 15:23 )
absolutely friends, tamil manager will prefer for candidates from TN and also goes to the extent that they do campus interviews in TN colleges, where as no campus interviews happen here in Karnataka. Look for a TN manager and he will have 75% people under hin tams and same goes to Bongs and Gults.. now come to kannadiga boss.. no Bias at all... so kannadigas lose out in all aspects.. whos to blame? us offcourse!!!
( Posted by lakki on Thursday , May 08, 2008 at 16:51 )
Sourav
Sagarika, You have ended on a very pessimistic note. The picture`s not as gloomy as it is painted to be.. We are getting out of our regionalistic shells and walking towards universalism, but the process takes time. If the junta comes under the influence of rogue politicians, then its our own collective failure. What we need to do is- we need to give ourselfs more time. Education does play a major part in the way in which society behaves. So we need to work collectively towards a better tomorrow and this feeling of lament should give way for activism and hope :)
( Posted: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 at 12:51 )
Tom
the basic problem lies in centralised devolopment,why cant the governments devolop the areas outside these cities and generate employment opportunites their instead of nurturing the regionalism which may blow up into the next biggest internal threat .Divide and rule was the policy of British colonial masters ,stillour local political masters trying to apply it in many ways on the basis of religion ,caste and now language and region.As we can see that behind all these problems are politicians .the need of the hour is a federal rule .
( Posted: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 at 12:20 )
You absolutely touched the heart of the problem ,thanx
( Posted by Anita on Wednesday, May 07, 2008 at 15:15 )
Aman
Honestly Sagarika, I feel so irritated even commenting on this issue that i feel the revolt right through my system. I have written this a number of times as a comment and would repeat it that if this regionalism is not stopped (and trust me it is difficult to stop it), India is heading the USSR way. We would sooner or later split up as a country with hatred towads one and all. And if we do not split up then we shall only end up as a civil war torn apart country. So much hatred is being bred in the system by people who probably wont be able to spell growth, modernisation etc. that beyond a point it is sickening.Worst there are a good number of people who are getting shamelessly and foolishly affected by these antics... even worse there are a Majority of people who are not doing anything to reverse it..... It indeed is high time to look at giving statehood to cities like Mumbai and Bangalore as that model has been successful for us in Delhi. The Delhi Government has not done a bad job at managing the infrastructure (atleast that is the perception in the minds of the people). THough some issues are yet to be resolved but still..... Yet tell me Sagarika do I have the right to even comment on it when I do not even go out to vote??? Or is it that I am willing to give an excuse for that as well???
( Posted: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 at 11:33 )
Local language and people have preference in all cities except Bangalore and Mumbai. People who stay for more than 10 years in a city need to voluntarily learn and communicate in the local language. All languages in this world are equal and one should nurture the language of the locality for harmony in the society. While merit should be the criterion for managerial, scientific, administrative and highly skilled jobs, local people should be preferred for unskilled jobs which are routine and mechanical in nature( 90 % of total number of jobs) such as helpers, clerks, messengers, assistants, unskilled technicians, etc. It is illogical to bring people from outside the locality while there are enough locals. But unfortunately, people who come to work in Bangalore and Mumbai impose their language or English on the locals and promote people from their state for jobs under their control.
Organisations such as Kannada Rakshana Vedike and Shiv Sena only want the preference to local language and local people as existing in other cities of our country. I request these broad-minded people to introspect about the dominance of local language and people in other cities and states before pointing fingures at Bangalore and Mumbai.
( Posted by B. Pranesh on Wednesday, May 07, 2008 at 16:27 )
Sadly I thought we lived in India....irrespective of whether I speak hindi,bengali, marathi, kannda...it is more important to understand this basic fact than show ones weakness over safeguarding ones mother tongue. Now i am sure people too obsessed with regionalism and trying to give unwarranted explainations would try and achieve a minority status for themselves in the country and further divide it. Broadminded people like me can also go on talking about the obsession of people from down south with their own language ones they come to Delhi or Mumbai etc. But then I am getting too stupid as well. Now dear take it as a compliment that people like you have the better ability to learn and adapt to the languages of HINDI and ENGLISH than some broad minded peole... but then I am not too sure if people would understand the value of this as well. After all there is a non issue to fight for.
Tell me one thing if two peole who do not understand each others language then what is the way they can communicate....But why am i getting pulled into this stupid debate... THIS ISSUE IS MUCH BIGGER THAN THE MERE LANGUAGE DEBATE AND SOONER PEOPLE LIKE YOU UNDERSTAND THE BETTER IT WOULD BE FOR THE COUNTRY. BANGALORE AND MUMBAI CANNOT SURVIVE A MONTH AS A STAND ALONE COUNTRY DEAR...
( Posted by Aman on Thursday , May 08, 2008 at 09:58 )
Fianlly a sane voice ...
( Posted by crisisofid on Monday , May 12, 2008 at 08:48 )
Rudra
Tumkur dont want Bangalore's pound of flesh. Bangalore can have it and eat it too. We dont want Tumkur to go bangalore way. Who gave you the impression that Tumkur is demanding something from bangalore. All that we are demanding is basic civic aminities for the Tax we pay.
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