The pro-Kannada groups had asked BMRCL to halt the use of Hindi at Metro stations, soon after the first phase of the Metro became operational on June 18. (Source: ANI photo)
A week after Pro-Kannada activists defaced Hindi signboards in the vicinity of 40 Metro stations in Bengaluru, the authorities on Friday removed the signboards from the metro stations in the state, according to news agency ANI. As part of campaign to oppose the use of Hindi as a third language by the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) had painted Hindi signboards outside the stations black before commencement of Metro services.
B Sanneerappa, a leader of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike had said, “Our intention was not to disrupt the services. We coloured the boards black in the early hours because we did not want to trouble commuters.” However, police have arrested 10 persons for defacing Hindi signboards at City Market station. The pro-Kannada groups had asked BMRCL to halt the use of Hindi at Metro stations, soon after the first phase of the Metro became operational on June 18. The Kannada Development Authority also issued a 15-day deadline to BMRCL to remove Hindi signages.
Earlier, threatening to launch protest KDA chairman S G Siddaramaiah had written to the metro authorities, “There is an order since 1963 that all state government institutes and offices have to follow the two-language system, and hence the order from the Union Ministry of Urban Development issued on December 9, 2016 to follow a three-language system on the metro must be cancelled.”
However, backing the three-language policy implemented by BMRCL on directions of the Union Urban Development Ministry, Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda had said that Kannada must get first preference since it is the state language. But, since a majority of Indians speak Hindi, it should be the second language. English as an international language should also be there.’’
Hindi words on signages at several stations were masked one after another. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had also deemed the Centre’s stand of using the three-language-formula as ‘not reasonable’. He had requested the Centre to acknowledge the cultural aspirations of the people of Karnataka.
