<p> Kannada is losing its ground in Karnataka owing to “commercial interests” of the educational institutions, said H S Venkatesh Murthy, the president of the 85th Akhila Bharatha Kannada Sahitya Sammelana, which began here on Wednesday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“Private educational institutions are run by industrialists. They are profit-driven and spreading knowledge is not their priority. To begin with, they claim that they have migrated to Karnataka from other parts of the country in search of livelihood. They would claim that making mandatory Kannada for their children amounts to infringement of their fundamental rights. But, this is just a ruse put forth by them. A child needs to perceive the world in the context of the environment in which it is growing up. Therefore, we argue that a child growing up in Karnataka must get education in Kannada,” Venkatesh Murthy said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Explaining the proliferation of English schools, Murthy said that the policies of the governments which come to power from time to time push education in mother tongue to the back-burner. “And the government itself will open 1,000 English medium primary schools,” he said curtly.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Sammelana president said that English medium schools are being run on demand from parents and educational institutions claim they are committed to meet the needs of the parents. “Yes, I say its your commitment; a commitment driven by commercial motive,” Murthy said without mincing any words. He defined education as a creative school where individual acquires perfection and manifests it in his conduct. Murthy advocated that Kannada can become a language of commons only if Kannadigas get lion’s share in the jobs in Karnataka.</p>
<p> Kannada is losing its ground in Karnataka owing to “commercial interests” of the educational institutions, said H S Venkatesh Murthy, the president of the 85th Akhila Bharatha Kannada Sahitya Sammelana, which began here on Wednesday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">“Private educational institutions are run by industrialists. They are profit-driven and spreading knowledge is not their priority. To begin with, they claim that they have migrated to Karnataka from other parts of the country in search of livelihood. They would claim that making mandatory Kannada for their children amounts to infringement of their fundamental rights. But, this is just a ruse put forth by them. A child needs to perceive the world in the context of the environment in which it is growing up. Therefore, we argue that a child growing up in Karnataka must get education in Kannada,” Venkatesh Murthy said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Explaining the proliferation of English schools, Murthy said that the policies of the governments which come to power from time to time push education in mother tongue to the back-burner. “And the government itself will open 1,000 English medium primary schools,” he said curtly.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Sammelana president said that English medium schools are being run on demand from parents and educational institutions claim they are committed to meet the needs of the parents. “Yes, I say its your commitment; a commitment driven by commercial motive,” Murthy said without mincing any words. He defined education as a creative school where individual acquires perfection and manifests it in his conduct. Murthy advocated that Kannada can become a language of commons only if Kannadigas get lion’s share in the jobs in Karnataka.</p>
