Students of Athreya Public School at Kallahalli have opposed the move to reduce the length of ‘Nada Geethe’ written by Jnanpith award recipient late Kuvempu.
Nearly 300 students, holding placards against the attempt at trimming the ‘Nada Geethe’, took out a protest rally and staged a demonstration outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office here.
The ‘Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanu Jate’ written by Kuvempu (K.V. Puttappa) is not just a poem but also the State anthem, said Athreya students.
They raised slogans against the committee that had submitted a report to the State government suggesting that the length of the ‘Nada Geethe’ be reduced.
The ‘Nada Geethe’, which has 44 lines will have only 23 lines if the recommendations of the committee are implemented. The government should not cut the length of the poem as recommended by the committee, Class IX student Sanjana told The Hindu.
The song currently takes two to three minutes to sing. People can stand for three minutes while the Nada Geethe is being sung, Athreya president K.S. Raghu said.
He urged the people to join the fight against such moves. Later, the protesters submitted a memorandum to the Department of Kannada and Culture through the district administration.
