Bellary (Karnataka): Telugu speakers took Karnataka to global level

[Harold F. Schiffman]

>>From SOUTHERN NEWS - KARNATAKA May 29, 2006

Telugu people took Karnataka to global level

BELLARY: Telugu speaking people, migrating from elsewhere and settling in
Kannada speaking land, had spread the fame of Karnataka all over globe,
felt secretary of Ravindra Bharathi Samskrithika Sangha Uppaloori
Mallikarjuna Sharma. He was speaking as chief guest at the two day Telugu
Mahasabha 2006 convention organised at Basavabhavan in Bellary. Programme
was organised by Karnataka Telugu Federation. Comparing Telugu speaking
people to Lord Krishna he said like Krishna they born elsewhere, brought
up at a different place and yet they brought good name to Kannada land.

Linguistically Kannada and Telugu are closely related to each other. In
culture and traditions too they have similarity. So their origin is also
same. Kannada and Telugu, being sister languages, must co-exist with
harmony and better understanding, he suggested. Recalling the historical
details of Bellary, he pointed out that dual language policy existed since
long in this region. This place is known for its language harmony, he
pointed out. Inaugurating the programme Minister for Tourism and Textile B
Sriramulu regretted that linguistic fanaticism was growing in recent days.
This is not a good sign. People must understand that Kannada and Telugu
are two faces of same coin, he added.

Though I am a born Telugu person I have become legislator and Minister in
Bellary. Kannada or any language can be saved not through confrontation
but by coordination and understanding, he pointed out. Speaking on the
occasion Lok Sabha member G Karunakarareddy wondered why Karnataka
Rakshana Vedike opposed Telugu Mahasabha programme. I had supported
Kannada and Kannadigas in all ways, he recalled. Another Lok Sabha member
N Y Hanumanthappa said languages never had barriers or differences among
them. Language is a means of communication.  People of different languages
must co-exist. They must adopt live and let live policy, he said.

Mayor G Somashekhara Reddy wishing the programme a good success wondered
why some people behaved differently about the programme and opposed it.
Jayaprakash Gupta welcomed. Secretary R Devanna presented the report. K
Koteshwara Rao, Raghunatha Sharma, K Ramarao were also present.

Demonstrations against Telugu Mahasabha: Failing to ban display of posters
of Telugu Mahasabha -06 in Bellary the City Corporation had adopted a
partial attitude towards Kannada, complained Kannada Kranthidal members.
Describing the attitude as irresponsible they submitted a memorandum to
the Government by closing their mouth with black cloth. Earlier in a
meeting Kranthidal president G Shanthanagouda recalled that the Mayor G
Somashekharareddy had banned displaying of Telugu posters during Kamma
Mahajanasangha programme. But he had not applied same yardstick to the
programme organised by Telugu Mahasabha, Shanthanagouda added.

Kranthidal activists took out a procession from Gandhi Bhavan to DC office
and submitted a memorandum. After receiving the memorandum HQA calling
Corporation Commissioner Abdul Khayyum to the venue asked why action was
initiated against the posters. Activists of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, who
demonstrated in front of Basava Bhavan where Telugu Mahasabha -06 was
organised, were arrested and later released.

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