Siddaramaiah bats for regional pride, seeks Centre's okay for state flag

The state government on Friday formally sent a proposal to the Centre seeking approval to the Karnataka flag, while Chief Minister Siddaramaiah took to social media making a strong case on the need for Karnataka to assert its regional identity.

In the 1,001-word article, which has gone viral, Siddaramaiah stated that asserting one's identity as a proud Kannadiga was not inconsistent with one's identity as a proud Indian.

"Whether we now like it or not, the states of India were organised on linguistic basis. Many of the languages and cultures of the states pre-date the Indian identity. Yet, we Indians are bound by a common history, common civilisation and a common destiny," Siddaramaiah wrote. "So, in Karnataka when we speak about primacy to Kannada, argue against the imposition of Hindi language, or call for adoption of a state flag, we are confident we are contributing to the building of a strong India."

Siddaramaiah, the Congress' last regional satrap, also advocated for all six southern states.

"Historically, the South has been subsidising the North," he wrote. "For example, for every one rupee of tax contributed by Uttar Pradesh that state receives Rs 1.79. For every one rupee of tax contributed by Karnataka, the state receives Rs 0.47... population is a prominent criterion for devolution of central taxes. For how long can we keep incentivizing population growth?"

In its proposal, the government has requested the Centre to include the Karnataka flag in the schedule of the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1950.