CM Siddaramaiah accuses Centre of 'neglecting' Kannada, imposing Hindi

Bengaluru, Nov 1 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday accused the union government of "neglecting" Kannada language and imposing Hindi, calling on people of the state to oppose those who are "anti-Kannada".

"Federal government is metting out step motherly treatment to Karnataka," Siddaramaiah said during his address on the occasion of state foundation day here in the state capital.

The 70th Kannada Rajyotsava celebrations was organised by the Department of School Education and Literacy.

He charged that the state provides Rs 4.5 lakh crore revenue to the Centre but it is denied its rightful share and is given paltry amount in return.

Noting that injustice is being done to Kannada language, the Chief Minister said, "There are continuous attempts to impose Hindi. Grants are given for the development of Hindi and Sanskrit while other languages of the country are being neglected." He also stated that Karnataka is denied funds for the development of the state.

"Injustice is being done to the classical language Kannada by denying adequate funds for its growth. We have to oppose all those who are anti-Kannada," the CM said.

Undelining the need to take Kannada language and its culture to new heights, Siddaramaiah said the neglect of Kannada language in education has caused several problems.

"Children of the developed nations think, learn and dream in their mother tongue but here the situation is against it. English and Hindi are weakening the talent of our children just because of linguistic reasons," Siddaramaiah said.

He stressed the need to bring laws to introduce a system for medium of instruction in mother tongue. "I emphasise that the Centre should pay heed in this direction." The Chief Minister also said that his government is committed to preparing Kannada to face challenges and prevent job losses caused by Artificial Intelligence.

He called upon scholars and technocrats to help transform Kannada into a language of modern technology.

“The era of Information Technology has now transformed into the age of Artificial Intelligence. There is also an apprehension that this may lead to job losses. Our government is working to elevate Kannada language, tradition and culture to a global level. As part of this, the government is committed to preparing our language to meet the challenges of Artificial Intelligence so that employment is not affected,” he said.

Siddaramaiah noted that the state government was implementing several measures to strengthen Kannada and ensure its continued relevance in education and employment.

According to him, 800 Kannada schools and 100 Urdu schools would be developed as Karnataka Public Schools (KPS), while priority would be given to teaching Kannada in madrasas.

“Since there is a need to take the Kannada language and tradition to the global level, we are preparing a new policy for this purpose." Emphasising on educational reforms, Siddaramaiah said 800 government schools, each over a century old, would be upgraded as model institutions at a cost of Rs four crore each.

“To bring minority communities into the mainstream, primary Kannada is being taught as part of madrasa education. Currently, Kannada is being taught in 180 madrasas, and this will be extended to 1,500 across the State,” he said.

Reflecting on Karnataka’s 69-year journey since unification, the Chief Minister paid homage to the martyrs of the unification movement, recalling figures such as Aluru Venkata Rao, Andanappa Doddameti, Gudleppa Hallikeri, Siddappa Kambli, R H Deshpande, Kaujalgi Srinivas Rao, and Kengal Hanumanthaiah.

“Today’s Karnataka is the fruit of their struggle,” he observed.

The Chief Minister highlighted that Karnataka had achieved remarkable growth, ranking first in attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and maintaining an unemployment rate of 2.5 per cent, far below the national average.

“More than Rs 50,107 crore FDI has come into the state, accounting for 51 per cent of India’s total FDI,” he said.

Karnataka’s per capita income, he said, has increased by 101 per cent in the past decade, while Rs 65,000 crore was allocated this year for education.

“We are also establishing new residential schools and hostels where needed,” he said, adding that recruitment of over 18,000 new teachers was underway.

Siddaramaiah said the State Education Policy Commission, chaired by Prof Sukhdev Thorat, had submitted its report, the first State-specific policy, which would soon be implemented.

Highlighting Karnataka’s economic strength, he said the state continued to excel in agriculture, dairy, biotechnology, and tourism.

“Karnataka Milk Federation is marketing over 175 Nandini milk products in national and international markets, collecting over one crore litres of milk per day,” he said.

The CM outlined the government’s vision centred around the 10 ‘Gs’ — Gig Economy, Green Economy, Guarantee Economy, Globe-Trotting Economy, Good Governance, Geographical Equality, Good Health, Gender Equality, Good Public Education, and Good Connectivity — describing theese as Karnataka’s roadmap for inclusive growth.

Urging collective resistance to centralisation, he said, “Karnataka has suffered a loss of nearly Rs 70,000 crore due to the injustice committed by the 15th Finance Commission.

PTI GMS ROH