During his career of over two decades in national politics, besides being the face of Karnataka because of his closeness to political leaders cutting across party lines, BJP leader Ananth Kumar was a friend in need for the State when it came to protecting its land, language, culture, cinema, water resources and border.
His love for Kannada and its cultural moorings did not diminish even though he was dabbling in Hindi-dominated North Indian politics. He spoke in Kannada at the United Nations session on global warming and women’s empowerment in 2012. He uploaded the Kannada address on his website later. According to party insiders, he used to ink party documents in the language as well.
Ananth Kumar had supported the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike when it took out a rally in New Delhi, urging the Centre to accord classical language status to Kannada. He was instrumental in the naming of the Delhi Metro station near Karnataka Sangha after Sir M. Visvesvaraya, the architect of modern Karnataka. His nameplate at his official residence and office in Delhi was also in Kannada.
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He also supported Kannada cinema during several crises. He intervened when film-makers were upset with the treatment meted out to Kannada cinema by the Central Board of Film Certification, the dubbing of other language films into Kannada, and in introducing the Yeshasvini scheme to film and television workers, says actor and former MLC Tara.
According to film-maker B. Suresh, when workers in film and television were being den ied of benefits of the scheme, Ananth Kumar spoke to M. Mallikarjun Kharge, who was heading the ministry then, and helped thousands of workers receive the benefits. He also opposed dubbing of entertainment content from other languages into Kannada, understanding its cultural and social impact, says Mr. Suresh. “He even succeeded in making the issue part of the BJP manifesto.”
When the Kannada Development Authority took a delegation to New Delhi to demand that regional language be made the medium of instruction, he almost acted as an anchor by bringing together MPs from various States and arranging a meeting with Union Ministers. “He acted as a spokesman for Kannada and regional languages,” says Mr. Suresh.
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