The ongoing Hindi-Kannada language debate in Bengaluru has been a contentious issue for some time. To explore whether things have changed, two social media influencers decided to conduct an experiment involving local auto drivers. One influencer spoke Hindi, representing the Hindi-speaking population in Bengaluru, while the other communicated in Kannada. Their interactions with the drivers revealed a persistent language-based discrimination that seems to exist in some parts of India.
When the two content creators approached several auto drivers to inquire about fares to popular destinations, the results were telling. One driver immediately refused to take the Hindi-speaking woman to HSR Layout, but accepted the ride from the Kannada-speaking woman. In another instance, a driver quoted Rs 300 for a ride to Indiranagar when the Hindi-speaking woman asked, but reduced the fare to Rs 200 when the same route was requested in Kannada.
One driver showed no signs of discrimination, offering both women a ride to Koramangala for Rs 200. However, another driver ignored the Hindi-speaking woman, while the Kannada-speaking passenger easily convinced him to take the ride.
Influencer Jinal Modi shared the video on Instagram, which quickly went viral online. The behavior of the auto drivers sparked outrage among viewers, with many criticizing it as “normalising racism.” One commenter wrote, “Real heights of stupidity and discrimination happen in Bengaluru.”
However, some felt such videos might worsen the issue. One viewer remarked, “This kind of content will only initiate more hatred.” Another questioned, “Why do these people glorify regional disparity and discrimination without any shame?” Meanwhile, one individual called for better conduct, stating, “Such people staying in Bengaluru and other states should learn to behave humanly.”
One user expressed disappointment, remarking that “love for language” seems to have taken precedence over virtues like “humanity, humility, kindness, and generosity.”
Another viewer speculated that the video might be staged, stating, “Auto drivers in Bengaluru never discriminate between locals or migrants, and they will charge everyone exorbitantly.”
A different user pointed out, “Language enforcement isn’t right.” Meanwhile, someone else commented, “Kannada people are just insecure about their language.”
Since being uploaded to Instagram, the video has garnered over 50 lakh views.
