Karnataka: KSP chief wants no dialogue with Chief Minister

[Harold F. Schiffman]

Date:19/10/2006 URL:
http://www.thehindu.com/2006/10/19/stories/2006101910750400.htm
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Karnataka - Bangalore

Patil: no dialogue with Chief Minister

KSP chief is unhappy with Kumaraswamy's stand on teaching English in
schools

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KSP holding a meeting on October 21 to decide the future course of action
`Government should wait till a plea in High Court is disposed of'
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Bangalore: The Kannada Sahitya Parishat (KSP) has withdrawn the invitation
it had extended to Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy for a discussion on the
issue of introducing English as a subject from first standard. Announcing
this at a press conference here on Wednesday, KSP president Chandrashekhar
Patil said the invitation made no sense in the light of the Chief
Minister's "adamant stand" on the issue and repeated statements that were
"prejudiced" and "not in keeping with the dignity of the office he holds".
The KSP was holding a meeting on October 21 to decide the future course of
action, which would be followed by an executive meeting on October 27.

The KSP's opposition to introduction of English was in keeping with its
long-standing demand for a "uniform language policy" and not against any
person or groups of people, Prof. Patil emphasised. The Government should
keep its decision in abeyance until a petition pending before the High
Court on the language issue was disposed of. Taking sudden decisions,
while the judgment was awaited within the next two months, might send
wrong signals to the judiciary, he said. Once the judgment was pronounced,
the Government should seek language experts' views on what was a suitable
age to introduce a second language in primary education, he added.

The question of language learning should be addressed as a scientific and
not as an emotional issue, Prof. Patil said. English should not be taught
in a manner that left a child confused rather than empowered, he said.
Reacting to statements by Mr. Kumaraswamy in Hassan on Tuesday that he
lacked confidence himself because he could not speak fluent English, Prof.
Patil said it was no more than a reflection of a "weakness in his
personality". His father and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, he
recalled, had felt no such diffidence when he delivered a Hindi speech
from the Red Fort.

http://www.hindu.com/2006/10/19/stories/2006101910750400.htm
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