Bengaluru man flags lack of Kannada in vehicle loan papers: ‘Took me 1.5 hours to understand’ | Bengaluru

A Bengaluru resident’s post on the lack of Kannada in vehicle loan documents has sparked a debate on linguistic accessibility in banking, especially in non-English-speaking regions.

Taking to social media platform X, the user, Syed Aleem, shared his recent experience of applying for a vehicle loan in the city. According to him, the entire loan agreement was provided only in Hindi and English, with no Kannada translation available.

“It took me about 1.5 hours to understand it properly. How is a local Kannadiga who is not familiar with English expected to understand and sign?” he wrote, pointing out that crucial terms regarding car parts, servicing, penalties, and defaults were buried in technical language.

“Every customer has a right to know what they are signing. For that, providing the document in the local language should be the bare minimum.”

(Also Read: ‘Difficult to learn 200 local words?’: Mohandas Pai reacts to row over SBI manager’s refusal to speak Kannada)

He refrained from naming the bank or branch, stressing that this was not a bank-specific issue but a larger systemic gap that needed correction across the sector. He said the ideal approach would be to provide loan documents in Kannada and English. “But even asking for Kannada along with Hindi is seen as language politics,” he added.

The post quickly caught the attention of other users, with many echoing his concern.

How did X users react?

One user remarked, “Most people sign without reading. I’m glad you made the effort to read and understand.”

Another pointed out, “Even in Kannada, such agreements are difficult to understand, only lawyers can make sense of them. First step is to make them easy to understand, regardless of the language.”

Some users suggested workarounds, like using Google image translation, but agreed that banks should provide documentation in the regional language to ensure clarity and consent.

(Also Read: ‘Banks in Karnataka should serve in Kannada. Period’: Bengaluru MP Tejasvi Surya on viral SBI video)