A recent incident at the AIT Circle branch in Chikkamagaluru district has brought the issue back into focus after a woman customer struggled to communicate with bank staff
Canara Bank is once again facing criticism for failing to offer banking services in a language that customers can understand, especially by posting non-Kannada-speaking staff in rural areas of Karnataka. A recent incident at the AIT Circle branch in Chikkamagaluru district has brought the issue back into focus after a woman customer struggled to communicate with bank staff.
In a video recorded by the customer, she can be heard saying that money meant for hospital expenses had been deducted from her account but the staff member was unable to explain the reason behind the deduction. The woman is also heard saying that a similar issue had took place the previous month.
As another person tried to intervene, the woman expressed her frustration, stating that she could not understand what the staff member was saying and questioned how can they make her sit there. “I don’t know English,” she added.
Chikkamagaluru is predominantly rural, with many residents relying on agriculture and plantation work for their livelihood.
The Canara Bank employee, who was initially heard speaking Malayalam to another person, admitted that she was unable to effectively communicate with the customer. “She is unable to follow what I am saying,” the staff member is heard saying in the video.
As the video quickly went viral, members of Kannada Sene, a pro-Kannada group, accused the bank of employing only Malayalam- and Hindi-speaking staff at the branch. They claimed this made it difficult for local customers to carry out basic banking tasks. The group urged the bank manager to assign Kannada-speaking staff to all customer-facing roles to avoid such issues in the future.
In response to the backlash, Canara Bank issued a statement on social media platform X, acknowledging the concerns raised. The bank stated that Karnataka is not just a location for them, but the very birthplace of the bank, where its journey began over a century ago.
“Kannada is our foundation, your support is our strength. For Canara Bank, Karnataka is not just a state — it is our birthplace, the very first foundation of our journey that began over a hundred years ago,” the bank wrote.
