Nadoja Basavalinga Pattadevaru, the head of Bhalki Hiremath and president of the 21st Bidar District Kannada Sahithya Sammelana, called upon the people of Karnataka for an organised fight against what he called ‘the imposition of Hindi’ on Kannada.
Delivering his presidential address at the literary conference held at Channabasava Pattadevaru Rangmandir in Bidar on Saturday, the seer spoke in detail about the “attack of North on the South” and stressed on the need to develop national leaders in the southern states as a means of assertion.
“It is claimed that the mother tongue is given priority in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. However, the Union government is practically imposing Hindi on southern states. North Indians have greater influence and control over the Union Government always. They attack on our language, literature and culture. We need to get united and fight against it. Southern states should develop leaders who can lead the country. Then only, the language, literature and culture will survive and get their due recognition nationally and internationally,” he said.
Terming the declaration of the 12th Century reformer Basavanna as the Cultural Leader of Karnataka as a matter of pride, the seer demanded the increased presence of Vachana literature and biographies of Sharanas (reformers) in the textbooks.
“We need to put an end to superstition, caste discrimination, gender discrimination, conflicts between Hindus and Muslims and upper castes and Dalits, and strive for the establishment of an egalitarian society based on peace and harmony. The state government should take up a campaign targeting all schools and colleges in the state to spread the Sharana thoughts. We are happy that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has agreed to establish Vachana University in Basavakalyan for exclusive research and translation of Vachana literature,” he said.
Agrarian crisis
Speaking on the State’s agrarian crisis, the seer held that the survival of Kannadigas is a prerequisite for that of the Kannada language.
“India is a country of villages inhabited by farmers. Our development programmes should primarily focus on farmers who constitute a major chunk of the country’s population. The government should ensure fair prices for the farm products. We must not forget that the suicide of farmers is the suicide of agriculture and food. We must seriously think of improving agriculture and making it profitable so that we can stop farmers’ suicides,” he said.
‘Injustice to Karnataka’
Minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment and Bidar in-charge Eshwara Khandre highlighted how the Union government was meting out financial injustice to Karnataka by presenting certain facts.
“The Union government annually collects around ₹4.3 lakh crores tax from Karnataka. But, it gives back only ₹50,000 crores to the State. It, however, gives annually ₹2 lakh crores to Uttar Pradesh whose tax contribution to the Union government is lesser than Karnataka’s. Karnataka is not getting its due share in the Union tax collection. We need to spread awareness about this injustice and fight for tax justice,” he said.
Cultural procession
Earlier in the day, Mr. Khandre flagged off the cultural procession by playing a Dollu, a traditional drum, in the presence of Minister for Municipal Administration and Hajj Rahim Khan.
The procession that started at Karnataka College of Pharmacy in the city marched through Mailur Cross, Haroorageri, Basaveshwar Circle, Bhagath Singh Circle and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Circle reached Channabasava Pattadevaru Rangmandir where the literary conference was held.
Basavalinga Pattadevaru, president of the Sammelan, was carried in a specially decorated chariot in the procession while the artists performed showcasing the rural folk art forms. Schoolchildren were seen in the attire of reformers Basavanna, Akka Mahadevi and Channabasava Pattadevaru. Writes, Kannada activists and other common people in the procession raised Kannada slogans and waved Kannada flags.
