Kendriya Vidyalayas in Karnataka must teach Kannada: KDA chief

BENGALURU: Kannada Development Authority (KDA) chairman SG Siddaramaiah on Tuesday urged Union human resource development minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank to issue a stern direction to Kendriya Vidyalayas (KV) to teach Kannada compulsorily to their students in the state.
In a letter to Pohkriyal, Siddaramaiah said KVs are reluctant to teach Kannada as they are not ready to have an emotional connect with the culture and language of Karnataka.
“I request you to issue a stern direction, asking the regional head of KV in Karnataka to direct all KV schools in the state to adhere to the Kannada Language Act, 2015, which has got presidential ascent and take all possible steps to teach Kannada to their students and hence respect the regional sentiments,” Siddaramaiah wrote to Pokhriyal.
The central government-run Kendriya Vidyalaya Sanghatan recently communicated to the state government that it is unable to teach Kannada in its 50 schools because of lack of faculty and students for the language.
“Kendriya Vidyalaya Sanghatan of Karanataka cites some trivial reasons for not teaching Kannada in its schools… This kind of irresponsible, grossly misunderstood and anti-regional statements would only ignite a sense of unrest in the state with unwarranted dire consequences,” said Siddaramaiah, adding: “The department must be in a position to teach even a single child in a school.”