Empathy can change everything, sometimes even an entire city experience. A young woman living in Bengaluru recently shared how a simple moment of kindness made her day better and shifted her perspective on the much-debated language issue. What began as hesitation and resistance turned into genuine appreciation for Kannada and the people who speak it. Her story has now resonated with thousands online and has sparked a thoughtful discussion about linguistic harmony, cultural respect and the warmth of Bengaluru’s everyday interactions.

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‘Don’t Come to Bangalore If You Don’t Know Kannada’ — A Mindset Shift

Instagram user simridhimakhija shared that everyone should learn Kannada and explained why. 

“Don’t come to Bangalore if you don’t know Kannada. When I first heard this, I was like, I’m a Delhi girl, I’m not learning Kannada,” she wrote. However, after spending more than 60 days in Bengaluru, her views have completely changed.

According to her, learning Kannada has made daily life smoother and more meaningful.

She narrated a simple but heartfelt incident. While having dinner at her regular dosa place in HSR Layout, the anna there asked her in Kannada, “It’s been four days, you didn’t come… what happened?” She told him that work had been hectic, although she wished she could have replied in his language.

“I wish I could greet him in Kannada because it’s just a nice thing to do. People here are so hospitable,” she said.

What surprised her most was not the language itself but the warmth it carried. “I have no idea why we have complicated the language issue so much. If anything, I’m jealous of all my friends who can speak Kannada. I’m going to hang out with them more so that I can learn.”

Her post ended with a gentle reminder: “Let’s class it up, guys. Let’s not get into this whole linguistic fight.”

How did the Social Media Users React?

Her reflections sparked a wave of supportive and wholesome responses:

One user commented: “Yes. Learning 50 words is all it takes. It ain't difficult.”

Another user wrote: “Just list down the Hindi words that you use in your day-to-day conversation and give it to a native Kannada speaker who will help translate. Perfecting the pronunciation will take some time but once you crack it everyone around will think you are a local.”

A third user added: “I speak broken Kannada and they all appreciate it. You are right. At its most basic level, making an effort to speak Kannada is showing the people you care about them and their culture. It’s true for most people, not just Kannadigas.”

A fourth user summed it up beautifully: “Well see that's the power of kindness, you can only export your culture and language with kindness and not by forcing people to speak a language.”

A Simple Effort, A Big Difference

For many in Bengaluru, whether residents, migrants or visitors, her experience is a reminder that language is not only about communication. It is also about connection, respect and shared humanity.

Sometimes, all it takes is a smile, a greeting or a few carefully learned words to make someone’s day better.