Viral: Bengaluru auto driver’s ‘genius’ idea to teach Kannada during ride

In a city where language often creates a divide, a Bengaluru auto driver has come up with a creative fix to bridge the gap. Ajmal Sultan, an autorickshaw driver, has taken it upon himself to help non-Kannadigas learn a little Kannada, all from the backseat of his auto.
Ajmal, known as “Auto Kannadiga” online, has put up a poster inside his vehicle offering basic Kannada lessons to passengers. The leaflet, titled “Learn Kannada With Auto Kannadiga,” translates simple phrases from Kannada to English, like “Namasakara sir” (Hello, sir) and “UPI idya athva cash aa?” (Do you accept UPI or cash?). It’s his way of turning a regular auto ride into a fun and educational experience for anyone trying to pick up the local language.
The idea took off after a passenger named Vatsalya shared a photo of the leaflet on X, which soon went viral. Calling it “very handy” while sharing the picture online, Vatsalya’s post quickly gained traction, and Ajmal’s creative gesture captured the attention of social media users across platforms.
An instagram post by Ajmal with the caption, “Let’s teach Kannada Let’s fix the language problem in Bengaluru,” shows him placing the sticker inside his vehicle.
Ajmal also shares Kannada language lessons through his Instagram and YouTube accounts, where he’s garnered a large following.
The social media response to Ajmal’s initiative has been largely supportive. Many users appreciated his humble approach to solving a common challenge in Bengaluru, where many non-Kannadiga residents struggle with the local language.
Commenting on the viral post, a user called it “a genius idea.”
Another user said: “Good way to politely ask people to learn a new language. Many will welcome this and will have a curious approach towards it.”
“This is the most polite way to encourage people to learn Kannada. If the approach is so polite, we will definitely love to learn the beautiful language,” wrote one user.
However, not everyone saw it that way. Some users felt that Ajmal’s initiative bordered on forcing people to learn a new language. One such comment expressed frustration, stating, “they (auto drivers) think people have time to waste in life in their language politics.”
While most seemed receptive to the idea, others didn’t like the prefix “sir” before every statement.
“Everything else is fine, but why sir?” questioned a user.
A user declared that he “absolutely refuses to address any rick driver who forces a language on me as ‘sir’.”