Coming close on the heels of the controversy of labelling curd in Hindi on KMF’s Nandini sachets and the more recent announcement of Amul’s entry into Bengaluru market, controversy has broken out over not allowing Kannada in the entrance examination for Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), with Opposition Congress and JD(S) slamming the BJP government at the Centre for ignoring regional languages in favour of Hindi.
The computer-based test is to recruit for 9,212 posts of constables, in which option of languages was in Hindi and English only, providing aspirants no regional language option to write the examination, former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said on Monday.
‘Deliberate attempt’
“The Hindi-centric examination system of the Centre is snatching employment opportunities of those whose mother tongue is not Hindi, and it is imposing Hindi on other linguistic groups,” he said, adding that it was a “deliberate attempt” to deny non-Hindi speaking aspirants opportunities.
He further said, “It is unfortunate that aspirants from South India are forced to write examination in other languages to find employment. Despite opposition to such moves in the past, the Centre has continued with its policy of Hindi imposition.”
Urging the Centre to allow Kannada as an option to write CRPF examination, another former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that due to language hurdles, even bright and deserving youngsters could miss opportunities from being selected.
PM’s intervention sought
Seeking intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress Legislative Party leader said that injustice should be set right. “Language is not knowledge, but only a vehicle to spread knowledge. Despite being knowledgeable, youngsters are failing in examination due to linguistic hurdles. Due to the BJP’s language policy, our youngsters are being denied jobs and unemployment is increasing.” The Centre is pushing regional languages aside to provide prominence to Hindi, and it is difficult to tolerate these moves, he said, urging the Centre to allow writing of examination in Kannada.
