Stating that the recent Supreme Court ruling that the State cannot impose mother tongue as the medium of instruction will not only affect Karnataka but also have an impact on other linguistic States, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said that he would write to his counterparts in other States to evolve a consensus on the issue. Besides, he will write to the Prime Minister.
He said that he would urge the Prime Minister to convene a meeting of all Chief Ministers to find a solution to the problem.
After conferring various awards instituted by the government for 2012 and 2013, including the Basava Rashtriya Puraskar and the T. Chowdaiah Rashtriya Puraskar, Mr. Siddaramaiah said, “I acknowledge the opinion of Jnanpith award winner U.R. Ananthamurthy that making mother tongue or a State language as medium of instruction will help children in acquiring quality education.”
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Noting that the government was committed to protecting the interest of Kannada, Kannada-speaking people and development of Karnataka, the Chief Minister said that besides filing a review petition in the Supreme Court questioning the recent ruling, the government would take action based on the opinion of both linguists and jurists.
Expressing satisfaction over the selection of awards by the committees formed for the purpose, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that the government had not interfered in the selection process keeping in view the sanctity of the awards.
Acknowledging the opinion of Kumaravyasa Award winner artist Markandeya Avadhani that the epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, preached great human values, the Chief Minister said that he would take steps to ensure that the two epics became a part of the curriculum.
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Speaking on behalf of award winners, Dr. Ananthamurthy suggested that the Chief Minister consult the Chief Ministers of all linguistic States on making the State language a medium of instruction in view of the recent court verdict, while creating facility to teach English as a language subject.
As many as 10 of the 12 award winners received the award. Kayyara Kinhanna Rai could not attend the function because of his old age and Leelavathi Guruva received the Nijaguna Purandara Award on behalf of her deceased husband Pandit Sangamesha Guruva.
The other recipients are R. Visveswaran, B.N. Sumithra Bai, Kum. Veerabhadrappa, Mr. Markandeya Avadhani, Somasundaram, Vasundhara Doreswamy, Lakshmi Bai Yenagi, U. Bhaskar Rao and Hamsanandacharya.