ತಮಗೂ, ತಮ್ಮ ಪ್ರೀತಿಪಾತ್ರರಿಗೆಲ್ಲ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ರಾಜ್ಯೋತ್ಸವದ ಹಾರ್ದಿಕ ಶುಭಾಶಯಗಳು! :)
Tamagu, Tamma Preetipaatrarigella Karnataka Rajyotsavada Hardika Shubhashayagalu! :)
Shavan Bhattacharjee is an immigrant to the state of Karnataka like many others. However, what sets him apart is his open heart and a practical mind. He is the kind of a Bharatian who respects every differences this nation carries.
Many people (not only Bharatians but also some foreigners) cry when it comes to learning Kannada when they land in Karnataka or when they plan to move to Karnataka. Their common claim would be 'why should i learn Kannada when i know Hindi or English'. But they don't mind spending months or years learning some alien/foreign language (including English).
It is not only about Hindi speaking people from northern states of Bharata but anyone who migrates to Karnataka and oppose to learn Kannada and expect Kannadigas to communicate in their language or Hindi or English for various reasons.
It is about those immigrants who think that it is ok if they do not learn Kannada even after living here for more than a year but it is not ok if a Kannadiga uses Kannada instead of Hindi/English/etc while communicating with immigrants in Karnataka!
In this article you can find out how an open minded person can become part of Kannadiga community when he/she moves to the state by not questioning native lifestyle.
Shavan Bhattacharjee's Bengali family migrated to Karnataka around 46 years ago. He was born and brought up in Bengaluru.
When people asked him "Why is Karnataka imposing Kannada on outsiders?", he gave an awesome answer which only an open minded and a large hearted person can give. Read ahead his answer in his own words...
Some years back I received a job offer from Austria which I grabbed without a second thought (Ofcourse not after going through the benefits). After I arrived there, I was instructed to collect my resident card from the district Bezirkshauptmannschaft (District office) of the city where I was residing.
While collecting my resident card I was told that I needed to complete my German language certification upto the A2 level at a minimum to qualify for a residency extension after 2 years. My wife had to be B2 certified. Hence we both enrolled ourselves to a German class. 3 days a week for the next 14 months we both attended the German classes and got good at the language. We made many friends (Locals) with whom we are still in touch, we learnt something new about the culture, we earned respect from the local townhall since we were the only foreigners living there and enjoyed the local festivities.
The reason I listed out my life in Austria a little is because I wanted to draw a parallel between my life In Austria and with the lives of people who migrate to Bangalore or any other city in India from other states.
German was imposed on me in a way. The greed of staying for a longer period in Austria and for a better life forced me to learn the language but I reaped a lot of benefits after I learnt to speak German. I could get my way out of a sticky situation, I was treated pretty much on par with the locals at the village pub, grocers butcher shop etc. All this was possible because I respected them just by learning their language.
This is just my example but I am sure that there are many Indians in Germany and Austria who have undergone a similar experience.
Now the question is if we Indians are ready to learn a foreign language out of interest or out of force, why can't we learn an Indian language for the same benefits which we may reap locally? Why do we cry wolf when Indian states impose their languages on migrants? It is our mindset that lead people to ask these type of questions.
We are ok to learn German, Italian or Spanish because it probably sounds cool but not Kannada, Marathi or Tamil because it's a local language. It all drills down to the status and nothing else.
So not only Kannada but one must atleast learn a little of the language of the place where we reside. It does no harm but goes on to show the local community that we respect you and your culture.
Pretty awesome explaination, isn't it?! You will enjoy the life in Bharata only when you are an open minded and a large/kind hearted person. You will end up crying if you have limitations.
Let us know how you feel about the diversity of Bharata and about Kannada by providing your valuable feedback here.
References/Further info:
1. Learn Kannada online:
https://kannadabaruthe.com/
2. If Hindi is declared the national language of India, will Tamils learn it?:
https://www.quora.com/If-Hindi-is-declared-the-national-language-of-India-will-Tamils-learn-it/answer/Nelson-Philipangel?share=3474aa16&srid=tdmA
3. Why is Karnataka imposing Kannada on outsiders? An answer by Shavan Bhattacharjee:
https://www.quora.com/Why-is-Karnataka-imposing-Kannada-on-outsiders/answer/Shavan-Bhattacharjee-1?ch=3&share=a1cc6cfb&srid=tdmA
