Opposition for compulsory Malayalam in schools, Kasargod Chalo flagged off in Udupi
Udupi: Expressing anguish over the move of the Kerala government to make Malayalam language mandatory from Class 1 from the new academic year, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike Praveen Shetty group organised Kasargod Chalo on June 8.
The Kasargod Jatha was flagged off at the Clock tower by Vishwaprasanna Theertha Swamiji Junior of Pejawar Math Udupi.
Speaking on the occasion the Swamiji accused and said that, the government of Kerala of trying to erase Kannada from Kasargod. The order for making Malayalam compulsory would harm the interests of the Kannada-speaking people. People speaking Kannada are always ready to fight with unity to safeguard Kannada language, he added.
Praveen Shetty president of Karanataka Rakshana Vedike said that the Kerala state government had passed an ordinance last year to make Malayalam a compulsory subject in all schools in the state from the next academic year. According to the order, Malayalam would be taught as a language from first standard and students belonging to Kannada medium schools would have to learn Malayalam as an additional language. Kasargod district has 74 exclusive Kannada medium schools and 174 institutions having both Kannada and Malayalam mediums. The order for making Malayalam compulsory would harm the nearly 40000 students who are studying in 74 schools in Kasargod. He urged the Kerala government to withdraw its order of implementing Malayalam as a compulsory subject in all the schools in Kerala including those in Kasargod as it was dominated by Kannadigas.
He also demanded the Kerala state and the union government to implement Justice Mahajan Commission report that recommended the bifurcation of Kasaragod and merger of its northern part with Karnataka. The Justice Mahajan Commission had way back in the year 1968 recommended the merger of north Kasargod district with Karnataka.
Anasar Ahamed, Nithyananda Volkadu, Prasanna Kumar Shetty and various district presidents were present.
Malayalee students studying in Karnataka, study the compulsory subject (Kannada) without protest. Then, why we Kannadigas don’t abide by the rule when studying in states outside Karnataka ? (1) Our love for Kannada is commendable (2) If the change has been brought, without giving sufficient notice, brings hardship on parents/students. But, do we have a right to protests ? Going by that, will we be lenient on students who may want to opt for Marathi, Gujarathi, Malayalam, Tamil when they come to study in Karnataka ?
Not fair !