<p>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.</p>.<p>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.</p>.Union Minister Pralhad Joshi alleges 'horse trading' of Congress MLAs amid Karnataka power tussle.<p>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.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>.<p>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.</p>.Union Minister Pralhad Joshi alleges 'horse trading' of Congress MLAs amid Karnataka power tussle.<p>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.</p>.<p>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.</p>.<p>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.</p>
