Bengaluru: Hundreds of activists and members of various pro-Kannada organisations gathered at Freedom Park on Saturday for the Kannadigas’ Demand Conference. The event, led by veteran pro-Kannada activist Janagere Venkataramaiah, was organised to protest the state government’s perceived inaction in implementing measures to protect the interests of Kannada, Kannadigas, and Karnataka.
Addressing the large gathering, Venkataramaiah presented a 12-point charter of demands. A central focus was the immediate implementation of a “Bilingual Policy” within November, making Kannada a mandatory language in the State’s education system starting from the next academic year. He emphasised the need to upgrade government Kannada-medium schools and introduce special grace points and reservation in state government jobs for those who have studied in Kannada medium up to the tenth standard.
On the economic front, the activist strongly demanded a “Local Employment Guarantee Act” to mandate the reservation of 80% of all jobs in Karnataka for Kannadigas. This was paired with a call for the state government to immediately fill the estimated three lakh vacant government posts to address rising youth unemployment. He also urged the Union government to formulate a “National Employment Policy” to fix state-wise reservation in all Union government jobs, including railways and banks.
In matters of federal policy and infrastructure, Venkataramaiah reiterated the “Our Water, Our Right” principle, demanding immediate plans to fully utilise the state’s rightful share of water from inter-state rivers like the Cauvery, Krishna, and Mahadayi, alongside speedy resolution of pending court disputes.
Other key demands included pressuring the Centre to establish the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Raichur, establishing a Supreme Court Divisional Court in Bengaluru, and securing the posthumous ‘Bharat Ratna’ award for Rashtrakavi Kuvempu.