BENGALURU: Following Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) activists vandalising name boards of shops not displaying Kannada, the Retailers’ Association of India (RAI) has written to Chief Secretary Rajneesh Goel, seeking his immediate intervention to prevent any escalation of tension, and to ensure protection of retailers, their employees and customers.
Gautam Jain, Director (Advocacy), RAI, stated in the letter that the incident has caused significant distress and fear among staff and customers, leading to concern for their safety and protection of assets. “While we fully acknowledge and respect the cultural sentiments of Karnataka and importance of promoting the Kannada language, we would like to highlight that our member retailers have always been committed to honouring local culture and made efforts to comply with Kannada signage on name boards.
It is important to note that all signage are displayed in both Kannada and English, with due prominence given to the Kannada language. There are instances that on some signages, the 60% requirement may not have been met,” Jain stated.
Further, he noted that RAI had filed a writ petition in 2019 in this regard, and the High Court had issued a stay restraining BBMP from taking any coercive action in this matter.
“The stay order is still pending and awaiting final resolution,” he stated. Meanwhile, Ramesh Chandra Lahoti, president of the Federation Of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industries, said the federation follows rules set by the state government and BBMP. “With regard to displaying 60 per cent Kannada on boards, we request the government to give industries time till February and not to take any action.”