The order on introducing English-medium classes in 1,000 government schools may become an important point of debate at the 84th Akhila Bharata Kannada Sahitya Sammelana and could dominate the three-day event starting on Friday in Dharwad.
Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, who will inaugurate the literary event, may have to face a barrage of questions on this issue.
Upset with the government’s move to introduce English medium, the Kannada Sahitya Parishat had recently convened a meeting of writers, intellectuals, language and legal experts, and activists and resolved to urge the government to drop the decision and cautioned the government of a stir on the lines of the Gokak agitation if it refused to heed to their plea.
Chandrashekar Patil, who chaired the 83rd sammelana in Mysuru and will hand over the charge to Jnanpith recipient Chandrashekar Kambar this time, said he would raise the issue during his address and impress upon the parishat to take a final call on the matter.
“The government’s stand on the medium of instruction has to be the primary issue of the sammelana,” said Dr. Patil.
Chairman of the Kannada Development Authority S.G. Siddaramaiah said it was more important for the parishat to prioritise issues pertaining survival of Kannada and protecting the pride of the language than organising the sammelana.
Manu Baligar, president of the parishat, said reports on the government’s stand on the medium of instruction was “shocking”. “When we sought an appointment with Mr. Kumaraswamy, he promised to take a final call on the issue after convening a meeting of Kannada writers and educationists,” he said.
“Introducing English as a medium of instruction by the government is not the right move and not desirable. The parishat will not hesitate to take up the issue,” he added.
Delegate registration
There is a significant increase in the number of delegates who have registered for the 84th Akhila Bharata Kannada Sahitya Sammelana scheduled to start on Friday.
According to Mr. Baligar, there is an increase of 6,000 delegates when compared with the previous sammelana held in Mysuru. “So far, 18,000 Kannada enthusiasts have registered their names as delegates. The number of delegates for the previous sammelana was 12,000,” he said. According to him, the parishat is expecting a footfall of over 4 lakh during the three-day event.
