JOIN USInvite to Murthy continues to rankle Kannada writers
The organisation expressed displeasure over the decision of the state government to invite Infosys Technologies Chief Mentor N R Narayana Murthy to inaugurate the World Kannada conference
“I’m not against Narayana Murthy. I am only questioning the rationale behind the government’s decision to invite Narayana Murthy to inaugurate the conference in Belgaum”, writer and the former president of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat Chandrashekar Patil said.
“When the first World Kannada Conference was inaugurated by Rashtrakavi Kuvempu in Mysore, what is the rationale behind the government’s decision to invite Narayana Murthy to inaugurate the second conference 25 years down the line?” Patil asked.
He said the neibhouring Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have given utmost importance to their regional language.
“In Karnataka, successive governments have just run the administration, while the onus of safeguarding Kannada lies with organisations and citizens”, he said.
Patil appreciated the vigour showed by pro-Kannada organisations to take up the cause of Kannadigas whenever their prestige or rights were at stake. Pro-Kannada organisations should stand firm on language policy and priority to Kannadigas in employment.
Former Chairman of Karnataka Backward Classes Commission C S Dwarakanath alleged the caste factor had played a major role in selecting Narayana Murthy to inaugurate the conference. Farmers, labourers, backward classes and dalits are the true Kannadigas, he said.
He said attacks on backward classes communities had been on the rise after the BJP government came to power. The government had organised the conference to divert the attention of the people from corruption, nepotism and corrupt activities, he alleged.
Time and money
The “Swabhimani Kannadigara Sammelana” in its resolution questioned the timing and expenditure on the world Kannada conference (Rs 30 crore) at a time when flood victims of north Karnataka were yet to be rehabilitated and farmers in the State were resorting to suicides.
Another resolution criticised the grants being provided by the state government to various mutts and temple and urged the people of the State to fight against the communal agenda of the BJP government.
A resolution stated that the state government had tarnished the image of the people by indulging in rampant corrupt activities.
Other demands placed before the government include total rehabilitation of the flood victims of north Karnataka within six months, to enact a comprehensive language policy and provide special status to Hyderabad Karnataka region.