Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s continued push for regional identity found resonance in the Independence Day speech, with him terming “imposition” of any language on a State “unconstitutional” and “against the spirit of formation of States on linguistic basis”.
Mr. Siddaramaiah said in his address on the 71st Independence Day celebrations on Tuesday, “Every State has its own official language and our Constitution recognises the primacy of that language in the State to the exclusion of other languages. Hence, imposition of any other language on a State is unconstitutional and it is against the spirit of formation of States on linguistic basis.”
He said the concept of cooperative federalism mandates that while the primacy of the local language cannot be compromised, opportunities could be given to learn other languages too.
This comes in the context where Namma Metro signage in Hindi drew protests and subsequently Mr. Siddaramaiah wrote to the Centre stating that the State government was compelled to ask the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation to re-design signboards without Hindi.
