JOIN USHe was speaking after inaugurating the Kannada Nuditheru Jagrutha Jatha organised by Kannada Development Authority (KDA) and District Administration here on Saturday.
He said government is of the opinion that Kannada should be the medium of instruction till fifth standard and option should be made available to students only after fifth standard. However the government is awaiting court verdict as several institutions have gone against the government decision, he added.
He said that preserving and promoting Kannada language is possible only when it is respected. After impressing on the central government with the documents about the existence of Kannada language and its history of 1950 years, the central government has given its approval for classical status to Kannada language. Following this the
Central Linguistic Science Institute has released Rs ten crore annual grant.
Besides, central government has come forward for announcing awards and prizes, he said and added that Kannada language needs to get full-fledged classical status, he said.
Expressing his dissatisfaction over the attitude of several government officials of using English notes on the files even after Kannada language has been declared as official language in the state, Acharya said that the ministers are sending back the files to those officials who put their remarks on files in English.
He said that even after reorganisation of state based on the language, regional imbalances in terms of development still exists in several parts, which needs to be removed.
KDA Chairman Mukhyamantri Chandru said the aim of the Jatha is not to curtail or condemn any other languages but to protect and promote Kannada language at administrative level and in the society. Owing to the influence of liberalisation, privatization and globalization regional languages in several parts of the globe are facing threat of extinction, he added.
A colourful procession with the participation of over 200 artistes coming from different parts of Karnataka was held. However there was dissatisfaction expressed from various quarters over the lukewarm response towards Jatha at administrative level and from public.