Captain's advice: Shun linguistic chauvinism

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the discussion on ‘Kannada and Globalisation,’ at the World Kannada Convention, he advocated tolerance, stating it was in the interest of the development of both the states.

“Harmony between both Kannada and Marathi is necessary. We are all Indians and must not rake up the dispute,” he said.

When questioned whether industrialisation was preferred to agriculture, he said agriculture could be restricted to four or five percent of the total land area, as it was sufficient to feed the population of the whole country.

However, he said it was necessary to conserve the natural habitat and ensure availability of healthy food to the people. 

Earlier, speaking during the discussion, he called upon entrepreneurs to create more employment for the welfare of the people. “If you want to eradicate poverty, create employment, because the job of creating employment is of the industrial sector. It is not the work of the government,” he said.

Noting that WKC was symbolic, he said it was necessary to promote Kannada, which was a victim of hybridisation.

“People prefer English medium and think that knowing English is intelligence. Events like these will ensure unity of people and will promote the language,” he said.

“We need to celebrate Kannada. We have the culture and everything we need. We need to implement it,” he said.