PM Modi continues to ignore Karnataka’s pleas on language policy

Bengaluru, Nov 2: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not yet responded to Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah’s two letters seeking a national education policy, promoting the mother tongue as the medium of instruction in schools.

"It is the constitutional obligation of the state to provide compulsory education to children in the age group of 6-14. We have been urging the Centre to formulate a national education policy to impart school education in the mother tongue. I had written twice to the prime minister, requesting him to take steps to bring in the constitutional amendment required for the new policy. However, there is no reply from him," Siddaramaiah said during an address on AIR to the people of Karnataka on the occasion of Rajyotsava.

The chief minister, however, said he would write to the prime minister yet again. Siddaramaiah's reiterations on the language policy come at a time when his government is protesting against the Centre's alleged intention to impose Hindi on states, and the language issue is taking a political colour in the run-up to the assembly elections.

Siddaramaiah, however, said his love for Kannada had nothing to do with politics. "I am born a lover of Kannada.I started my political career as chairman on the Kannada monitoring committee (Kannada Kaavalu Samithi) and have never compromised on protecting the interests of the language. For me, Kannada is not about politics," he said.

"We are not against Hindi or English. But imposing other languages at the expense of Kannada is not acceptable. When Kannada outfits raised their voice against the imposition of Hindi on Namma Metro, we spoke to the Centre and got the two-language policy of English and Kannada implemented," he said.