Belgaum jamboree ends

“Now with the demand (for renaming Belgaum) gathering more momentum, we along with Union ministers from the State would apprise the union government about the aspirations of the people and urge that the city should be given a Kannada name”, the chief minister said while delivering his valedictory address at the WKC.

The city witnessed a three-day virtual feast with lakhs of people from the district, other places in the state and Kannadigas residing across the country and abroad converging in large numbers to witness the festivities.

Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said he was overwhelmed by the success of the event which would inspire the youth to carry the legacy of Kannada forward.
It was grand curtains to the World Kannada Conference on Sunday as thousands of artistes from all parts of the state and the country displayed and enthralled the audience.

The Kittur Rani Chennamma stage was filled with artistes, Kannada litterateurs and people from all walks of Kannada society.

Sahana Bhat Srinivasa Henchur and others, a team from Hubli and Dharwad, performed ‘Vishwa Vinuthana Vidyachetana’ - the song composed for the glory of Karnataka - lighting up the entire stadium. Beginning with the birth of the Kannada language, it traced its history and praised the kings who made Karnataka culturally rich.
Dignitaries’ address

The valedictory programme ended with dignitaries from various fields including Minister Govind Karjol, Council Chairman D H Shankar Murthy and senior journalist, Patil Puttappa addressing thousands of people present on the occasion.

Litterateur Dr D Javare Gowda urged the Yeddyurappa government to levy heavy taxes on English medium schools so that it helped promote Kannada education.

Gowda also demanded that Kannada should be implemented at all levels of administration and jobs should be given to Kannada medium educated graduates.
Patil Puttappa, a senior journalist, speaking on the occasion, warned forces trying to divide people on linguistic grounds and called upon the people of Belgaum not be influenced by such ‘outsiders.’He said Kannada and Marathi might be two different languages, but are similar in culture and tradition.