CIRCULARS IN LANGUAGE OF MINORITIES LAND IN TROUBLE

[Margaret Ronkin]

In haste--I may be a bit "off"--
I think this has to do with fear of minority language voices (which attach to minority language speakers) rising up against the hierarchical system of sub-state, state, and national languages in India. At the state level, we are among speakers of Kannada, a Dravidian language (correct me Hal, please, if my caffeine and/or my sociolx haven't kicked in), which appears to be designated an official language in Karnataka state, and has lots of supportive trappings like a Kannada Development Authority and various lobbying organizations. The order/plan announced in the article applies to Karnataka. The order/plan would recognize a number of minority languages in addition to Kannada for the conduct of transactions that are now conducted in Kannada and in English (at least officially) in various districts and locales within that state. You can bet that these minority languages have their entrenched lobbies as well. A researcher, Dr. M. Chidananda Murthy, has condemned the order/plan,!
  terming it a 'deep conspiracy to disintegrate Karnataka in a phased manner' and to wipe out Kannada. Discourse analysts will find many such 'deep conspiracies' in South Asian political commentary. Following the presentation of this 'evidence' and a bit more, the unnamed reporter inserts a quote attributed to Minister Mr. S. M. Krishna to end the article by quoting the urging of agitations/protests against what is seen by some as an 'anti-Kannada' order.

Maggie


----- Original Message -----
From: "P. Kerim Friedman" <kerim.list at oxus.net>
Date: Thursday, May 6, 2004 8:47 am
Subject: Re: CIRCULARS IN LANGUAGE OF MINORITIES LAND IN TROUBLE

> Can anyone explain this to me? I've read it three times and I still
> don't understand what the issue is that is being disputed. Maybe
> I'm
> just still not awake this morning...
>
> - kerim
>
> On May 6, 2004, at 8:37 AM, Harold F. Schiffman wrote:
>
> >    Forwarded from Star of Mysore
> >
> >
> >                CIRCULARS IN LANGUAGE OF MINORITIES LAND IN TROUBLE
> >
> >             Bangalore, Apr. 30 (KVV)- The State Government has
> > reportedly
> > issued an order to the Heads of Departments to issue important
> > Government
> > Orders (GOs), notifications, rules etc., to benefit the linguistic
> > minorities also in their own language.  The State Government has
> issued> the disputed order on Mar. 31 and the same has triggered a
> controversy> with Kannada Sahithya Parishat and Pro-Kannada
> activists opposing it.
> > They
> > have urged the Government to immediately withdraw the disputed
> order,> failing which, they would launch agitations. The disputed
> order has
> > been
> > issued under the seal and signature of Mr. C. Krishnamurthy, Under
> > Secretary in the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms
> > (DPAR).
> >
> >
> >             The Government Order has instructed the Heads of
> > Departments
> > to issue important Government Orders, notifications, rules etc.,
> also
> > in
> > the language of linguistic minorities alongwith Kannada and English
> > language.  According to the said order, prominent Government
> orders and
> > notifications should be issued in Tamil and Telugu for Bangalore
> > District,
> > Urdu and Telugu for Bangalore Rural, Marathi, Urdu (Belgaum, Bidar,
> > Bagalkot, Bijapur, Gulbarga, Shimoga Districts) Telugu and Urdu
> > (Bellary
> > District), Malayalam, Konkani, Tulu (Dakshina Kannada and Kodagu
> > Districts).
> >
> >             A conspiracy
> >
> >             Researcher Dr. M. Chidananda Murthy has condemned the
> order> terming it a 'deep conspiracy to disintegrate Karnataka in a
> phased> manner' and to wipe out Kannada.  He said that Chief
> Minister Mr. S.M.
> > Krishna may not be aware of the consequences of the order.  Dr.
> Murthy> said that such kind of order cannot be issued even in
> States like
> > Andhra
> > Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Kerala. In Maharashtra,
> there are
> > a
> > large number of Kannadigas, but does the Government of Maharashtra
> > promulgate such an order in favour of linguistic minorities ?" he
> > questioned.
> >
> >             "Where is the end, if the Government goes on issuing
> orders> like this? The Kannada Development Authority should
> immediately take
> > serious note of this," he demanded.  The office of the Kannada
> > Development
> > Authority is located in Vidhana Soudha from where the disputed
> order
> > was
> > issued. The KDA came into existence with the sole objective of
> > implementing Kannada as the official language in the State. Kannada
> > Development Authority should prove its existence, he said.
> >
> >             KDA keeps mum
> >
> >             "If the KDA observes silence in this regard, it will
> send> wrong signals. We all know about its in-action. When I said
> this, some
> > vested interests criticised me. But now, it is the duty of KDA to
> stall> the implementation of the order," he said.  "Kannadigas
> should raise
> > their
> > voice against the anti-Kannada order. They should launch a peaceful
> > struggle," he said.
> >
>
>