Pro-Kannada group meets Google and other tech firms, urges them to hire more locals

The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), on November 4, held a meeting with representatives of around 30 IT companies in Bengaluru’s Mahadevapura and submitted memorandums seeking fair employment opportunities for Kannadigas in the state’s IT sector. The pro-Kannada organisation also visited Google’s office in Bengaluru and submitted a memorandum raising the same demand.

A KRV delegation met human resources officials of the companies at the Brigade complex and submitted a memorandum to each, outlining the organisation’s concerns over alleged discrimination against local candidates during recruitment.

KRV state president TA Narayana Gowda participated in the meeting via a video call and explained the campaign's objectives. The organisation said representatives of all the companies responded positively to its demands and assured the delegation they would consider the concerns raised. The organisation plans to submit a comprehensive report to the state government and seek time-bound action on implementing job reservations.

The delegation was led by KRV state vice-president Veerabhadra. Mahadevapura unit president Lohith, KR Puram unit president Manjunath and other office-bearers, including Rama, Lakshmana, Anand and Nagaraj, were also present.

The campaign comes days after Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said the government would take action against private companies found to be deliberately sidelining Kannadigas in recruitment. He had also cautioned pro-Kannada organisations against taking the law into their own hands.

The issue has revived the debate over reservations for local candidates in the private sector. In 2024, the Karnataka Cabinet approved a Bill proposing reservations for Kannadigas in private industries. However, the government put it on hold following objections from industry representatives and business associations.