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Karnataka government vows action amid row over circular, says minister BC Nagesh
“As part of the commemoration of the Independence Day, the central and state governments have not given any indication that Hindi/English language knowledge is compulsory for students travelling from Karnataka. Disciplinary action will be taken by the department against the officer or staff responsible for this confusion,” Karnataka minister Nagesh said in a post on Twitter.
The state government will take action against any officer or staff responsible for sending only students with knowledge of Hindi for an official programme in Uttarakhand, Karnataka minister for primary and secondary education BC Nagesh said on Wednesday, amid a raging “Hindi imposition” row.
“As part of the commemoration of the Independence Day, the central and state governments have not given any indication that Hindi/English language knowledge is compulsory for students travelling from Karnataka. Disciplinary action will be taken by the department against the officer or staff responsible for this confusion,” Nagesh said in a post on Twitter.
The statements come after reports emerged that pre-university education department’s instructions allegedly mentioned that only Hindi-speaking students will be selected for a five-day tour to Uttarakhand for a central government-sponsored programme.
“I don’t think it is a clerical error. It is deliberately mentioned (in pre-university education department’s instructions). When I went through the central government circular, I didn’t find reference to any single language. But how come it was interpreted (in this fashion),” TS Nagabharana, chairperson of the Kannada Development Authority (KDA) told CNNNews18 on Wednesday.
He said the KDA was trying to get hold of “origin of the menace to impose Hindi in Karnataka”.
Opposition parties in Karnataka have long accused the ruling BJP at the Centre under Prime Minister Narendra Modi of imposing Hindi on southern states and other places as part of its “one-nation, one-language” propaganda.
“BJP governments in the centre & the state, which are conspiring for ‘One Bharat, One Language’ policy, are involved in heinousness act of ignoring Kannada students during school excursion. This is inexcusable & condemnable,” HD Kumaraswamy, former chief minister and Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S) leader said in a Twitter post.
The Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government in Karnataka too has been accused of condoning actions of the Centre to impose Hindi.
“Kannada & Karnataka are caught in butchers’ hands. We need to protect our Kannada from this stranglehold of those patronising Hindi,” Kumaraswamy added. “The officer who issued such a betrayal order should be transferred & the order must be withdrawn. Kannada students must be compulsorily selected for the tour prgramme. Otherwise, we have to get on to streets and protest,” Kumaraswamy said.
KDA chairperson Nagabharana said the “intent” of the central government in a federal system should be to help the growth and priority of all 22 languages mentioned in the constitution. He said students, who travel to other places, should become a medium of exchange of culture and language, helping each other grow.