The city of Bengaluru, also known as India's Silicon Valley, recently made headlines when protesters tore down English billboards and demanded that they be written in the local language, Kannada. The protest was led by a group called Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), who wanted the government to make a law saying that 60% of each display sign in the city should be in Kannada. Some political parties supported the demand, but they didn't like the violence. This incident shows how people in India care about their language, with over 300 languages spoken in the country.
The KRV has been saying for a long time that Kannada and its speakers are being ignored in Bengaluru, a city where people from all over the country and the world live and work. Some locals worry that they will become a minority because of all the people moving to the city. The demand for "Kannada first" comes from a feeling of pride in the language. In the 1920s, Kannada speakers first asked for their own state, and at first, they were okay with other languages, like English.
But in the 1980s, the protests got more intense, and Kannada nationalists started targeting other Indian languages like Sanskrit, Tamil, Urdu, and Hindi. They wanted Kannada to be the only first language in schools, protested against Tamil Nadu over sharing water, and didn't like Urdu being used on the state broadcaster. In 2017, they even went after Hindi, asking for it to be taken off signs and announcements on the Bengaluru Metro.
The demand for Kannada signs got bigger when the IT industry grew in the 1990s. Kannada speakers were worried that people from other states who spoke English were taking their jobs. The KRV started asking for special treatment for local people to protect job opportunities. They say that regional independence is important in India, and English signs get in the way of that. But they also say they don't mind multinational companies where English is needed for work.
Some Kannada speakers support the KRV's demands, but the Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) says that the recent protests and changes to signs won't affect Bengaluru's reputation as a global city. The hardworking people of Bengaluru, who made the city famous, will keep doing good work no matter what language the signs are in. The FKCCI has asked businesses to follow the law and use Kannada on their signs. They have until February 28 to make the changes.
In conclusion, the recent protests in Bengaluru for Kannada signs show how people in India care about their language. Kannada nationalists have been asking for Kannada language and culture to be promoted for a long time, and their demands have gotten stronger over time. While the protests have caused a lot of discussion, they probably won't change Bengaluru's reputation as a global city.
Original news source: Bengaluru: Why English is dividing people in India's Silicon Valley (BBC)
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π Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group a copy of the article. Instruct them to read the article and then summarize the main points in their own words. After a designated amount of time, have each group share their summaries with the class.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Instruct each group to come up with a list of questions related to the article. The questions should be designed to gather opinions from their classmates. Once the questions are prepared, have the groups go around the class and ask their classmates the questions. After collecting the responses, each group can present their findings to the class.
– Headline Creation
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Instruct each group to create a catchy headline for the article. Encourage them to be creative and think about the main points of the article. Once the headlines are created, have each group share their headline with the class and explain why they chose it.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Choose a selection of vocabulary words from the article. Write each word on separate pieces of paper and put them in a hat or container. Divide the class into teams. One student from each team will come up and pick a word from the hat. They must then draw a picture to represent the word while their teammates try to guess it. The team with the most correct guesses wins.
– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into two groups. Assign one group to represent the perspective of the KRV and the other group to represent the perspective of the FKCCI. Instruct each group to brainstorm a list of pros and cons related to the demands for Kannada signs. After the brainstorming, have each group present their arguments to the class and engage in a debate-style discussion.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
The recent protest in Bengaluru was about demanding that billboards and signs in the city be written in the local language, Kannada.
The protest was led by a group called Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV). They wanted the government to pass a law stating that 60% of each display sign in the city should be in Kannada.
Some locals worry about becoming a minority in Bengaluru because many people from other states and countries are moving to the city for work. They are concerned that their own language and culture will be overshadowed by others.
Kannada speakers feel a sense of pride in their language because it is their mother tongue and an important part of their identity. They believe that promoting Kannada language and culture is essential to preserve their heritage.
In the 1980s, the demands of Kannada nationalists became more intense. They started targeting other Indian languages like Sanskrit, Tamil, Urdu, and Hindi. They wanted Kannada to be the only first language in schools and protested against the use of other languages in various contexts.
The demand for Kannada signs increased in the 1990s because of the growth of the IT industry in Bengaluru. Kannada speakers were concerned that people from other states who spoke English were taking away job opportunities. They believed that using Kannada on signs would help protect local job opportunities.
The Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) believes that the recent protests and changes to signs will not affect Bengaluru's reputation as a global city. They have asked businesses to follow the law and use Kannada on their signs, but they believe that the hardworking people of Bengaluru will continue to excel regardless of the language used on signs.
No, the recent protests are unlikely to change Bengaluru's reputation as a global city. While the protests have sparked discussion and changes to signs, the city's global reputation is primarily based on the hard work and talent of its people, not the language used on signs.
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
The city of Bengaluru, also as 's Valley, recently made headlines when protesters tore down English billboards and demanded that they be written in the local language, Kannada. The protest was led by a group called Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), who wanted the government to make a law saying that 60% of each display sign in the city should be in Kannada. Some political parties supported the demand, but they didn't like the violence. This incident shows how people in India care about their language, with over 300 spoken in the country. The KRV has been saying for a long time that Kannada and its speakers are being ignored in Bengaluru, a city where people from all over the country and the world live and work. Some locals worry that they will become a minority because of all the people moving to the city. The demand for "Kannada first" comes from a feeling of pride in the language. In the 1920s, Kannada speakers first asked for their own state, and at first, they were okay with languages, like English. But in the , the protests got more intense, and Kannada started targeting other Indian languages like Sanskrit, Tamil, Urdu, and . They wanted Kannada to be the only first language in schools, protested against Tamil Nadu over sharing water, and didn't like Urdu being used on the state broadcaster. In 2017, they even went after Hindi, asking for it to be taken off and announcements on the Bengaluru Metro. The demand for Kannada signs got bigger when the IT industry grew in the 1990s. Kannada speakers were worried that people from other states who spoke English were taking their jobs. The KRV started asking for treatment for local people to job opportunities. They say that regional independence is important in India, and English signs get in the way of that. But they also say they don't mind companies where English is needed for work. Some Kannada speakers support the KRV's demands, but the Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) says that the recent protests and changes to signs won't affect Bengaluru's reputation as a global city. The hardworking people of Bengaluru, who made the city famous, will keep doing good work no matter what language the signs are in. The FKCCI has asked businesses to follow the law and use Kannada on their signs. They have until 28 to make the changes. In conclusion, the recent protests in Bengaluru for Kannada signs show how people in India care about their language. Kannada nationalists have been asking for Kannada language and culture to be promoted for a long time, and their demands have gotten over time. While the protests have a lot of , they probably won't change Bengaluru's reputation as a global city.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. What is the city of Bengaluru known for?
2. How would you feel if billboards in your city were torn down and replaced with signs in a different language?
3. Do you think it's important for cities to prioritize their local language? Why or why not?
4. What is the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) protesting for?
5. How do you think the people who speak Kannada in Bengaluru feel about becoming a minority?
6. Why do you think Kannada nationalists started targeting other Indian languages?
7. Do you think it's fair for Kannada speakers to ask for special treatment to protect job opportunities? Why or why not?
8. How do you think multinational companies in Bengaluru feel about the demand for Kannada signs?
9. What does the Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) say about the changes to signs in Bengaluru?
10. How do you think the recent protests will affect Bengaluru's reputation as a global city?
11. Do you think it's important for cities to preserve their local language and culture? Why or why not?
12. How do you feel about the demands of Kannada nationalists?
13. What do you think will happen if English signs are removed from the Bengaluru Metro?
14. How do you think the recent protests have impacted the discussion about language in India?
15. Do you think the recent protests will lead to any changes in Bengaluru's language policies? Why or why not?
Individual Activities
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π΅οΈ True or False Questions:
π Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
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