61st Karnataka Rajyotsava: CM pushes for primacy of regional languages

Bengaluru, Nov 1: Pitching for supremacy of regional languages, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today pushed for the state's demand to make it the medium of instruction for primary education.

Speaking at the 61st Karnataka Rajyotsava (state formation day) celebration event here, he urged the Prime Minister to call a meeting of Chief Ministers of all states and bring an amendment to the Constitution to this effect.

"I have written two letters to the Prime Minister.I have also written to all Chief Ministers because the Supreme Court's order is causing a threat to all regional languages," Siddaramaiah said.

The Chief Minister said he had also met the Prime Minister in this regard.

"We have to bring an amendment to the Constitution.It has to get declared in Parliament that regional languages are supreme in states.. amendments should be brought to make changes to the Supreme Court order. So Prime Minister has to call a meeting of Chief Ministers of all states and decide," he said.

"I will continue to make this demand," he said, adding most language and education experts had opined that the mother tongue should be the medium of instruction in primary schools.

Siddaramaiah said it would help in development of regional languages and also mental development of children.

In May 2014, the Supreme Court while hearing the issue before it challenging two Karnataka Government Orders of 1994, making the mother tongue or regional language compulsory to impart education from Class I to IV, had held that the government cannot impose mother tongue on linguistic minority for imparting primary education.

The CM said the state government had announced a language policy in 1994, "which was questioned by unaided educational institutions in courts, where we had to face a setback."

"Despite appealing against it, we did not get justice. We made all possible efforts, but this was an order passed by the Constitution bench. As the Supreme Court is final, we cannot appeal in any other courts," he added.

Pointing out that the state government was taking all steps to protect and encourage Kannada, Siddaramaiah said, "It is our mother tongue; it is language of this land, this soil.

"Showing our Kannadiga pride just on November 1 or in this month is not enough, it should be a continuous process."

Recalling Karnataka's united fight on the Cauvery water issue, Siddaramaiah said, "Power may come or go. It is not permanent, but the land, water, culture and language of this state are paramount."

"It is our responsibility to protect even at the cost of power and the state government is committed to it".