Kaushik Sengupta, who migrated to Bangalore in 1998, found that he faced a rather persistant problem during his initial years in the City; as someone who couldn't speak Kannada, he recalls having frustrating mime-conversations with shopkeepers, attempting to guess the routes of buses — since they were always written in local languages — and in general, having a tough time getting around in the City."It was a difficult situation - you needed to be able to speak Kannada to get around. This was why I taught myself to speak a little of the local language," he recollects.
Over the years, the situation in Bangalore has changed. Corner shops have given way to large malls, road signs are now in English and most autorickshaw drivers can converse rather easily in Hindi. But does that mean that people who don't speak Kannada face no difficulties in their daily routine?
Metrolife speaks to a few to find out.Anurag, who is from Bihar, came to Bangalore nearly four years ago to study. He admits that though one can get by to a certain extent by speaking Hindi or English, he still faces some difficulty in terms of communication.
"Initially, I found it especially hard. There are many people here who are fluent in English and Hindi; but when it comes to speaking to shopkeepers, bus conductors and waiters, knowing Kannada is a must," he says.
While he doesn't feel that people take advantage of his ignorance of the language, he agrees that there are certain drawbacks to speaking an alien tongue.
"For example, if I ask an autorickshaw driver to drop me somewhere, I can't negotiate a price with him because I don't understand what he's saying. So, often, I have to pay him exactly what he asks for," he explains.
Kaushik is one of the few people to have made a conscious attempt to pick up the local language. At the same time, he doesn't believe it to be essential.
"This isn't the Bangalore of '98. Buses are numbered in English and most of the attendants at shopping malls speak English as well. Autorickshaw drivers generally speak Hindi, and one can navigate the City quite easily without knowing Kannada," he says.
However, he admits that there is a certain sense of camaraderie between Kannada-speaking Bangaloreans which makes life a little easier. "When I speak to a police officer or driver in Kannada, they get impressed and it's easier to have a discussion. It's a nice feeling," he explains.
There are many Bangaloreans who actually feel that not knowing Kannada actually makes no difference whatsoever in their daily routine.
In fact, Poornima, who works at the Vogue Institute of Fashion Technology, feels that it makes no real difference.
"I'm from Bihar and came to Bangalore two years back. But I've never faced any problem with language. Everyone here seems to be comfortable with both Hindi and English. So I don't have issues communicating with people who I meet during the course of my day," she concludes.