While Chief Minister Siddaramaiah appears keen on projecting himself as a staunch protector of the Kannada cause, his namesake and Kannada Development Authority (KDA) chairman is in the limelight for cracking the whip on those perceived to be against the cause. The most recent move has been to direct Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. to remove Hindi signage. The Chief Minister followed this up with a letter to the Union Urban Development Department urging it not to insist on the three-language policy.
In a conversation with The Hindu , KDA chairman S.G. Siddaramaiah, a retired professor of Kannada, denied that the authority was being used by the government to push a political agenda and insisted that it was in response to the Centre’s push for a monolithic “one country one language” policy that is contrary to the spirit of federalism. Excerpts...
Why is there a sudden spurt and zeal in KDA’s activities?
The Centre’s imposition of Hindi and the danger being posed to the federal structure and pluralism all over the country for the past three years is the provocation. KDA is trying to protect the local identity when the Centre is surreptitiously promoting the ‘one country one language’ policy. Is there anything wrong in a statutory body protecting land, language and culture?
There is an accusation that the CM is using KDA to build his image ahead of the Assembly polls.
There is no need for him to use KDA, and he has been committed to the cause from the start of his political career. He headed the Kannada Surveillance Committee much before the formation of KDA. It is foolish to make such a connection. He is doing his constitutional duty at a time when attempts are being made to destabilise the federal structure.
Why should attempts to promote Kannada be in opposition to another language? Does the prevailing atmosphere harm Karnataka’s image as a ‘tolerant State’?
The very character of Kannada is ‘ Sarva Janaangada Shantiya Thota’ (A garden of peace for all communities) as described by poet Kuvempu. But that does not mean that a Kannadiga has to tolerate danger to the land, language or culture. As the Centre has created a situation of conflict, Kannadigas have woken up to assert themselves. It is not an offensive act, but a defensive one. Projecting pro-Kannada acts as anti-other languages is a conspiracy by vested interests.
In this clamour, are we forgetting core issues like teaching Kannada to children?
No. The KDA is now implementing over 300 notifications, orders and directions issued in the last 23 years. It has written to the Primary and Secondary Education Department to submit an Action Taken Report on the notification issued by the government in 2015 on the issue. Our focus right now is implementation of earlier orders.
