The demand to declare Belagavi as the “second capital” of Karnataka was reiterated at the two-day 10th Kannada Sahitya Sammelan organised by the district Kannada Sahitya Parishat.
Delivering the presidential address at the conference here on Friday, writer Basavaraj Jagajampi said the government should positively respond to the demand and make an official announcement during the forthcoming monsoon session of the legislature at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, the second seat of the State Secretariat in Belagavi city.
He said declaring Belagavi as second capital of Karnataka would send a strong message and also help the government defend its case in the Supreme Court vis-à-vis the boundary dispute raked up by Maharashtra to claim territorial rights over Belagavi alongside several other areas along the border between the two States.
He disapproved the demand for separate statehood for north Karnataka region and urged the legislators, MPs and other elected members to work collectively to bring about comprehensive development and progress in the region. The demand had its roots in the continued negligence of the region by successive governments. The government should ensure that the awards instituted by the State were also given to eminent and prominent personalities of the north Karnataka region.
Earlier, Kannada Development Authority president L. Hanumanthaiah, who inaugurated the literary meet, urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to take measures to resolve the problems being faced by Kannadigas of Baina beach in Goa, where the local government had evacuated them forcibly.
He also requested the Chief Minister to look into the problems of Kannada families in 42 villages of Jath taluk of Sangli district in Maharashtra, who had been demanding merger of their villages into Karnataka because of the step-motherly treatment of the State government there.
Mr. Hanumanthaiah took a dig at noted writers S.L. Bhyrappa and Kum. Veerbhadrappa for their critical remarks on popular schemes such as Anna Bhagya introduced by the Siddaramaiah government. He said the importance of these schemes was well understood by those who came from poor economic backgrounds. The writers should restrict their works to literature and restrain from interfering in political decisions of the government, he said.
Chairman of the Reception Committee Laxman Savadi, MLA, presided over the inaugural function.
