The city of cosmopolitan Karnataka, Bengaluru, is a melting pot both culturally and linguistically. After incessant controversies regarding the status of the Kannada language in the state, a touching video went viral where a Tibetan national spoke in Kannada, inspiring awe and re-stirring controversy on language inclusivity.
The stunning clip, a vox pop, shows an elderly Tibetan gentleman claiming assertively how deeply the regional language has pervaded his life. Smiling broadly, he says, "I know several Tibetans who speak Kannada better than their mother tongue. Locals welcome me a lot whenever I converse in Kannada. They are proud that an outsider has gone to the extent of learning their language."
What really struck home with the audience was his suave and elegant send-up of the age-old alibi "Kannada gottilla" (I don't know Kannada). Winking at the camera, he asserted, "There's no such thing as 'Kannada gottilla.' Having drunk a glass of Kaveri water, you involuntarily speak Kannada." This ironic aside captured his conviction in the easiness and natural acceptance of the language, the common man in Karnataka.
The clip, which had more than 10,000 views, was greeted with a snowstorm of compliments on social media. The man was commended on social media as a beacon of great cultural respect and linguistic inclusiveness. An X user responded to the man's dedication, comparing it: "When Tibetans learn Kannada, why can't Indians live in Karnataka? It's just respect for the land, which gives them food, water and a roof. By speaking the local language, you simply show your respect." Another user bluntly said, "Wow, great human being, understood by a sentence, it's the heart of Kannadiga."
The discussion went on to bring up such examples of non-Kannadigas adopting Kannada. One user recollected, "My apartment complex's Nepali watchman speaks Kannada better than me (I am Tamilian). The majority of Nepalis who reside in Bangalore speak Kannada since it is their livelihood."
It is not the first time linguistic prowess has hit the headlines in Bengaluru. A video of a girl from Jammu, speaking fluent Kannada on the street, had also gone viral previously. She recounted with great fervour the need for others to learn Kannada, repeating over and over again, "Many people are coming from outside, so people from Karnataka do not have space anymore. Apart from that, they are asking us to speak in Hindi. Why cannot they learn Kannada?
Also, the fact that even a 19-year-old student from Bihar gained popular admiration for his effort to learn Kannada before coming to Bengaluru to attend college shows that such incidents overall paint the image of the type of city where adopting people's language as a means of survival is not only so but an actual demonstration of respect and integration into the dynamic environment of Namma Bengaluru."
Disclaimer: This information has been provided by a third party. India TV does not vouch for the authenticity of the claims made.
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