Close on the heels of forming a committee to look into the issue of formation of a separate State flag and opposing Hindi in Metro Rail signages, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has now asserted that Kannadigas should send a strong message that they will not tolerate any efforts to undermine their language, water or land.
In a 14-minute video titled “Kannada Namma Hemme,” which was released by the Information Department last week, the Chief Minister has asked non-Kannadigas in cities like Bengaluru to get themselves adapted to Kannada culture. “We have to not only love and respect others, but also send out a very strong message that we [Kannadigas] will not tolerate any attack on our language, land and water, if others try to do so,” he said.
“The neighbours are our brothers and sisters. But we cannot tolerate any efforts to attack our our language, land and water as it is our duty to protect them [language, land and water],” he declared.
Mr. Siddaramaiah has also sought to remind all the Kannadigas that they have the responsibility of taking pride in their language, water and land besides striving for the development of these elements.
The video, which talks of Mr. Siddaramaiah’s love and commitment to Kannada, says he was very close to the Kannada thespian Rajkumar who too hailed from his (Siddaramaiah’s) home district. “Whenever I met Rajkumar, he would invite me by fondly saying that I am from his forest,” the chief minister said.
Asserting that Kannada language should have supremacy in Karnataka, he condemned the demand by certain sections for a separate north Karnataka state. “Several stalwarts have struggled for the formation of Karnataka state by unifying the Kannada-speaking areas. But today, either due to selfishness or foolishness, some people are demanding a separate north Karnataka State. We need to condemn this,” he said.
The film underlines his stand that mother tongue should become medium of instruction and states that he has already urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to implement this by amending the Constitution.