ಅಭಿಷೇಕ್ | Abhishek (ಕನ್ನಡ ದೇಶ ಗೆಲ್ಗೆ)

Let me share my own experience. I worked for several years in a US-based company in Bengaluru. Around 2011, two people from Kerala occupied senior management positions. During their tenure, I noticed that a large proportion of freshers recruited into the company were from Kerala. Gradually, their regional network grew stronger, and Kerala's language and culture received more prominence than Kannada, despite the company operating in Bengaluru. At one point, there were even attempts to restrict the use of Kannada on the office floor. My association with Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) made the management reconsider that decision. When I left the organization, I openly raised these concerns with HR, who also happened to be from other state. Today, I hear similar allegations about the same company. A Telugu-speaking executive reportedly holding the CTO position in the USA is said to be favoring Telugu-speaking employees in recruitment and promotions in Bengaluru. This is how regional favoritism can operate. When senior managers favor people from their own linguistic backgrounds, those employees eventually become managers themselves. They may then continue the same recruitment patterns, creating a cycle in which qualified local Kannadigas can be overlooked. Many Kannadigas are familiar with concerns about such practices. Kannadigas who understand their rights and are willing to speak up question these practices. But many remain silent, fearing retaliation, career setbacks, or losing their jobs.