Kannada activists visit Bengaluru firms, seek data on local hiring in private sector

Bengaluru: Teams of Kannada activists have begun visiting IT companies and large retail establishments in Bengaluru, seeking information on the number of Kannadigas employed by them as part of a month-long campaign demanding greater job opportunities for locals.

The visits are part of Kannada Rakshana Vedike's Agraha Abhiyana, a campaign focused on local employment in the private sector. The visits defy chief minister DK Shivakumar's request that pro-Kannada groups must not take the law into their hands and create problems at IT companies.

Activists are handing over letters to companies seeking data on the share of Kannadigas in their workforce, recruitment trends over the past three years, hiring criteria, measures taken to increase local recruitment, and skill development initiatives aimed at improving employment prospects for Kannadigas.


Videos of the visits have been circulating on social media, triggering debate over the methods adopted by the activists. The organisation has warned that it would stage protests outside companies that refuse to share the information.

The campaign has drawn criticism from sections of the industry. IT entrepreneur 'Tiger' TG Ramesh said such actions could create uncertainty for businesses operating in the state. In a post on X, Ramesh recalled that when then Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu invited him to shift his venture from Bengaluru to Hyderabad in 1999, the then Karnataka CM SM Krishna intervened to retain the business in the state.

"SM Krishna ensured no one moved out of Karnataka. I don't understand why the present government is permitting such intimidation. The private sector runs on merit across the country and not just in Karnataka. The Karnataka government should put an end to such direct intimidation tactics," he said.

The CM, on the eve of the Karnataka Rajyotsava celebrations, said complaints of discrimination against locals in private-sector hiring would be examined directly by the government and action would be taken against companies found violating rules. He also announced that private companies would be required to hoist the state's bi-colour flag on their premises.