Under pressure from the State government and Kannada activists, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) on Friday started the process of removing Hindi from signage on metro stations. Images of a signage at Chickpet station taken down were shared on social media.
According to sources, signage in at least three stations, Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Interchange, J.P. Nagar and Chickpet stations, were removed on Friday. The process is expected to continue over the next few days to cover the entire Phase I network.
In the past few days, BMRCL was under tremendous pressure to remove Hindi from signage in metro stations. With a large section of the population accusing the Union government of imposing Hindi on Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asked the Centre to adopt a persuasive instead of a mandatory approach on usage of Hindi. When the Kannada Development Authority issued clear instructions to remove Hindi from signage, BMRCL replied that this could be done only after consultation with the State government.
Towards the end of July, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote to Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Narendra Singh Tomar that the State government would ask BMRCL to remove Hindi signage, with a rider that the removal would be ‘temporary’. BMRCL Managing Director Pradeep Singh Kharola could not be reached for comment despite several attempts.
You have reached your limit for free articles this month.
Subscription Benefits Include
Today's Paper
Find mobile-friendly version of articles from the day's newspaper in one easy-to-read list.
Unlimited Access
Enjoy reading as many articles as you wish without any limitations.
Personalised recommendations
A select list of articles that match your interests and tastes.
Faster pages
Move smoothly between articles as our pages load instantly.
Dashboard
A one-stop-shop for seeing the latest updates, and managing your preferences.
Briefing
We brief you on the latest and most important developments, three times a day.
Support Quality Journalism.
*Our Digital Subscription plans do not currently include the e-paper, crossword and print.
A letter from the Editor
Dear subscriber,
Thank you!
Your support for our journalism is invaluable. It’s a support for truth and fairness in journalism. It has helped us keep apace with events and happenings.
The Hindu has always stood for journalism that is in the public interest. At this difficult time, it becomes even more important that we have access to information that has a bearing on our health and well-being, our lives, and livelihoods. As a subscriber, you are not only a beneficiary of our work but also its enabler.
We also reiterate here the promise that our team of reporters, copy editors, fact-checkers, designers, and photographers will deliver quality journalism that stays away from vested interest and political propaganda.
Suresh Nambath
Please Email the Editor