State needs political force with local identity to safeguard interest, says Datta

We need to build strong political force that promotes Karnataka’s identity on the lines of Tamil Nadu and other states, said MLA Y.S.V. Datta. He was delivering the keynote address at Sarthaka Sambhrama, a programme organised by Lokanayaka J.P. Vichara Vedike to mark the 85th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister H.D. Devegowda, here on Thursday.

Referring to the growing tendency of calls for ‘one nation,’ Mr. Datta said India is a union of states. Such calls are detrimental to the development of the States in federal system, he said.

Karnataka has been neglected by the Centre for decades since Independence and hence it needs a strong political force with local identity to safeguard its interests, Mr. Datta underlined.

Inaugurating the programme, former Law Minister M.C. Nanaiah regretted the lack of concern for people among the people’s representatives. “The people who loot the land, water, mines are becoming legislators today. This is a dangerous tendency,” he said.

Presiding over the function, writer Kotiganahalli Ramaiah cautioned about the growing authoritarian threats to democracy and freedom of expression enshrined in the Constitution.

J.P. Vichara Vedike convener R. Dayanand spoke. MLC Rameshbabu, former Senate member of Bangalore University K.B. Gopalakrishna participated among others.