Karnataka: Emulate Tamil Nadu's policy on language, Government told

[Harold F. Schiffman]

Date:20/02/2008 URL:
http://www.thehindu.com/2008/02/20/stories/2008022060860800.htm
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Karnataka

Emulate Tamil Nadu's policy on language, Government told

Special Correspondent

Make Kannada a must from Class I to X: Venkatasubbaiah

BANGALORE: Lexicographer G. Venkatasubbaiah on Tuesday urged the State
Government to take a cue from Tamil Nadu on evolving a policy to make
Kannada compulsory from class I to X. Mr. Venkatasubbaiah was speaking at
the valedictory of the birth centenary celebrations of Kannada writer the
late Aa. Na. Kru organised by the Department of Kannada and Culture here.

Tamil Nadu's proclaimed language policy, which was upheld by the Supreme
Court, would help solve many Kannada-related issues and make all children
learn Kannada in a span of 10 years irrespective of their mother tongue,
Prof. Venkatasubbaiah said.

On the mastery over Kannada and contribution of Aa. Na. Kru to Kannada
literature, he said non-availability of Kannada books on those days made
the writer take refuge in English literature and practised Kannada writing
on various topics. Jnan Pith Award winner U.R. Ananthamurthy said that
reading Aa. Na. Kru was a pleasure. Writers such as the late Aa. Na. Kru
and Shivarama Karanth were responsible for Kannada gaining a strong
foothold in the State.  But Kannada was now on the wane, he added.

The Union Government should realise that the Centre-State relationship
would be under strain if it did not evolve a policy that could ensure that
the local people got the jobs at lower rung in all organisations, he said.

Stating that Kannada should change for catering to the needs of social,
political, cultural and educational needs, Prof. Ananthamurthy said that
Kannada movements should follow the non-violent models provided by persons
such as the late Alur Venkata Rao, the former Chief Minister S.
Nijalingappa and the thespian of Kannada cinema Rajkumar and not Raj
Thackery of Maharashtra Nava Nirmana Sena.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/20/stories/2008022060860800.htm
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