Kannada Man Criticized for Calling Blinkit’s Hindi Notification “Threatening”
A recent complaint by a resident of Karnataka regarding a grocery delivery app, Blinkit, has sparked a significant debate over language preferences and digital communication. The man alleged that the app sent a “threatening” notification in Hindi, and his grievance quickly turned into a heated discussion on social media.
A Notification Gone Wrong
It all began with a notification from Blinkit about an order delivery. The message, written in Hindi, read “Suno ji! Dekho yeh order 12 minutes mein deliver ho bhi gaya” which translates to “Listen, this order was delivered in 12 minutes”. Blinkit probably intended the notification to be a friendly update. However, the recipient, who goes by the username @Metikurke on social media platform X, was not amused.
The man claimed he found the notification “threatening” and took particular offence to the word ‘gaya’. Although ‘gaya’ means ‘gone’ in Hindi, the man noted that it translates to ‘wound’ in Kannada, and therefore felt the message had a negative connotation.
Taking the Issue Online
Following this event, @Metikurke shared his dissatisfaction with Blinkit’s customer support, demanding explanations and expressing his frustration over receiving notifications in a language he described as “alien”. He threatened to lodge a police complaint if he received similar notifications again. He posted screenshots of these conversations online, quickly catching the attention of netizens.
“You sent me a threat message in an alien language. I’m scared, next I will give police complaint if I receive messages that I cannot read and understand,” he stated in his post.
Blinkit’s Response
Blinkit customer support responded, trying to clarify that the notifications were simply standard updates and not intended as threats. “These are no threat messages, sir,” Blinkit support replied. However, @Metikurke was firm in his belief that the notifications should be in Kannada or English, demanding that Blinkit stop sending “nonsense in alien languages”.
Interestingly, he later noted that he had stopped receiving Hindi notifications and was only receiving messages in English since his complaint: “After this complaint, I observed over a month that they are now sending only English notifications. No more alien language nonsense. If more people complain, they will introduce Kannada as well.”
Backlash on Social Media
The post quickly went viral, amassing over six lakh views, and drew a mixed response from social media users. While a small section supported his stance on the language issue, many others were quick to criticize him. The overwhelming sentiment amongst internet users was that @Metikurke was overreacting. Some Internet users even called him “jobless” for creating a fuss over the matter.
“When I was jobless, I would stare at walls, I would walk alone, I would sleep hungry, but even then I was not this jobless,” one user commented, summing up the common sentiment.
Another user sarcastically noted, “Traumatic? Really? Get a grip.” Some people also pointed out the irony of posting in English while demanding notifications in Kannada.
A Broader Debate
The incident highlights a broader issue of language preferences in India, a country with an enormous linguistic diversity. Karnataka, especially Bengaluru, has seen numerous pro-Kannada protests, where there have been calls for businesses to use Kannada in their communications. The Karnataka state government has even mandated that commercial establishments in Bengaluru should display signboards in a 60:40 Kannada-English ratio.
While some people feel strongly about preserving local languages, the practicality of using multiple languages in digital communications remains a challenge. Meeting everyone’s language preferences can be complicated, especially for businesses operating on a national level.
What’s Next?
As of now, Blinkit has yet to make an official statement regarding the viral post. However, it is clear that this incident has stirred a conversation about language use in digital communications in India. Only time will tell how businesses will adapt to these concerns while trying to serve a linguistically diverse customer base.
This story serves as a reminder of the complexities involved in catering to local language preferences in a multilingual nation like India and sheds light on the sometimes unexpected reactions that can arise from seemingly routine digital interactions.