Defunct Kannada Sangha at BEML draws KDA chairman's ire

Bengaluru: Expressing concern over the fading presence of local languages at central PSUs, Purushothama Bilimale, chairman of the Kannada Development Authority (KDA), directed officials at BEML’s Bengaluru complex to take steps to immediately revive the defunct workers’ Kannada Sangha.

Chairing a meeting to review implementation of Kannada initiatives at BEML’s head office on Tuesday, Bilimale said the Sangha at the Bengaluru unit had remained inactive for over a year. He called this a “regrettable development” at a time when the number of local workers in PSUs is dwindling.

“In this era of globalisation, market languages dominate, often pushing local languages to the background,” he said.

Bilimale warned that if cultural and linguistic associations within public institutions decline, the survival of local culture in a professional environment becomes precarious. He noted that globalisation had driven 240 languages in India into oblivion, with a further 390 likely to follow suit in the next 50 years. 

Hiring and branding

The KDA chief issued a series of directives to ensure Kannada holds primacy in BEML’s administrative and recruitment processes.

With BEML set to begin recruitment for 'group C' employees, Bilimale mandated that notifications be published in Kannada and priority be given to local candidates.

He pointed out that BEML’s logo currently features only Hindi and English. He directed officials to incorporate Kannada into the logo and include it as an optional language on the company’s website.

The authority chief suggested publishing technical brochures in Kannada to help the local students and educational institutions understand BEML’s indigenous technology. 

The meeting was attended by BEML’s director (HR) Debi Prasad Satpathy, KDA secretary Santhosh Hanagall and other senior officials.