Has Bengaluru Airport Removed Hindi From Display Boards? Karnataka's Language Debate Explained

Users on social media have questioned the practicality of showing flight information in only English and Kannada, asking whether the airport authorities assume that only people who understand English and Kannada travel to Bengaluru.

What Happened At The Bengaluru Airport

“Today, a surprise awaited at the T1 terminal of Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru. All the digital boards displaying flight information, flight arrival and departure schedules and other information were only in English and Kannada," a user wrote.

Another user commented, “Hindi is removed from digital display boards of Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru. Kannada & English. Kannadigas are resisting Hindi imposition. This is a really good development!"

A Times of India report mentioned BIAL’s response after the video went viral. “There has been no change in our flight information display system. In line with established practices, the displays continue to feature English and Kannada to effectively assist passengers. Additionally, the way-finding signage throughout the terminals is displayed in English, Kannada, and Hindi," (sic.) a BIAL spokesperson said in a statement.

The development comes days after the BIAL incorporated a Kannada language option into its website.

This added feature in the state language ensures travellers can navigate airport services with ease and familiarity, stated a press release issued by BIAL on Monday.

The new language option will offer real-time flight information in Kannada, enabling seamless updates on departures, arrivals, and delays, said the release.

Language Debate In Karnataka

From the government’s order that insisted on signboards in Kannada to tiffs between auto drivers and non-Kannada-speaking passengers, there has been much heated debate around language in the state, often turning uncivil in the online space.

There have also been initiatives to bridge the gap by teaching basic Kannada to “outsiders."

The conflict between government’s push to mandate Kannada usage on signboards and commercial establishments’ resistance dates back to 2008. But it was during the end of 2023 that the controversy saw a new push.

On December 27, 2023, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) took to the streets to “enforce" an announcement by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) that all signboards should have at least 60% Kannada and the rest in any language. It had set February 28, 2024, as the deadline to implement it. At least 50 complaints of vandalism had been lodged with the city police.

The move was supported by chief minister Siddaramaiah, who started his political career as the head of Kannada Kavalu Samiti. He insisted that Kannadigas were not only those who were born in Karnataka but also includes those who work here, as mentioned in a report by The Hindu.

Abandon The Three-Language Formula

Amidst the ongoing debate over the language policy in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka activists have also been pushing for the two-language model, which is being used in the Tamil Nadu schools.

The three-language formula was introduced in Karnataka’s schools in 1968 following its recommendation by the (Daulat Singh) Kothari Commission and its incorporation into the National Policy on Education (NPE). While Tamil Nadu, under the DMK government led by C. N. Annadurai, was against its implementation, Karnataka’s Congress-led government complied with the Central directive despite internal opposition. The 1980s witnessed a surge in Kannada language activism as part of a broader wave of social movements in the state. This led to the widespread support for the (Vinayaka Krishna) Gokak committee, which recommended that Kannada replace Sanskrit as the first language in government schools. However, despite this agitation, the three-language formula remained unchanged in Karnataka, a Frontline report mentioned.

Thus, Karnataka became the first state to implement the National Education Policy in August 2021 under the previous BJP government led by Basavaraj Bommai. When the Congress returned to power in 2023, CM Siddaramaiah appointed a 15-member committee to draft a State Education Policy (SEP), fulfilling his campaign promise to revoke the NEP in the state. His stance on the NEP aligns with his previous tenure (2013–18), during which he sought to position himself as a strong regional leader advocating for Kannada.

Under the current SSLC (State syllabus), students study Kannada as their first language, English as their second, and from Class 6 onwards, a third language—most commonly Hindi—is introduced.

Anand Guru, founder of the pro-Kannada group Banavasi Balaga, told Frontline, “The two- or three-language controversy predates Independence. In the princely State of Mysore, only Kannada and English were used, but after Independence, Hindi was imposed as an official language. The National Education Policy is designed to promote Hindi and establish it as the dominant language in the country. Karnataka is becoming a haven for Hindi speakers, yet many migrants neither learn nor attempt to learn Kannada. We demand the removal of Hindi from Karnataka’s education system."