Kannada group, DMK unite against ‘imposition of Hindi’
FOES TURNED FRIENDS Both organisations were at odds earlier over sharing Cauvery water
BENGALURU: Protests over the use of Hindi signages in Bengaluru Metro are breaking barriers, with organisations that were up in arms against each other over Cauvery water sharing now teaming up to oppose the “imposition” of the language.
The Karnataka Rakshana Vedika (KRV), a pro-Kannada organisation that spearheaded a violent protest against Tamil Nadu last year over the water dispute, has now approached a political party of the neighbouring state to bolster its anti-Hindi movement. The KRV activists had set on fire Tamil Nadu registered trucks after the Supreme Court directed Karnataka government to release Cauvery river water to the neighbouring state.
Burying the hatchet, the KRV leaders are now in touch with the local unit of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) to protest, what they call, the imposition of Hindi. It is also trying to get support from proTelugu and pro-Malayalam organisations.
Senior KRV member Sanneerappa confirmed approaching the DMK. N Ramaswami, a leader of the DMK’s state unit, too indicated the party is ready to join hands with its erstwhile bête noire. “The Cauvery issue is in the court and we cannot do anything about it. However, the DMK has always been at the forefront of protests against the imposition of Hindi,” he told HT.
The protests over alleged imposition of Hindi erupted in the state recently over usage of Hindi in the metro rail’s signboards in the city, prompting even Karanataka chief minister K Siddaramaiah to oppose the move. Since majority of the funding for the metro came from the state, it was not a central government project and thus does not qualify for the threelanguage policy, the CM said, condemning the use of Hindi with Kannada and English.
Amid the protests, officials of the Kempegowda Metro Station on Sunday put tape on the Hindi signages to avert any untoward incident. Deputy commissioner of police (west) MN Anucheth said security was beefed up around stations but refused to admit there were threats.
The recent remarks of Union minister Venkaiah Naidu in favour of Hindi too did not go down well with the pro-Kannada activists. “Hindi as Rashtra Bhasha (national language) is very important, we cannot do without it...Most people in our country speak Hindi, so learning Hindi is also important... but we should be fluent in our mother language like Gujarati, Marathi, Bhojpuri...,” Naidu had said.
Taking objection to the statement, Sannerappa said if Hindi was so important, then the “central government should not depend on taxes paid by southern states.” “……We will refuse to pay (taxes) if the government is keen on imposing Hindi,” he said.
The pro-Kannada activists accused the BJP of imposing Hindi in the state. “For the first time in the state’s history, a governor addressed a joint session of the legislature in Hindi. What else is this if not imposition of Hindi?” Sanneerappa asked. The KRV also planned to launch a campaign against the state’s BJP leaders, particularly Union minister Ananth Kumar, whom it accused of backing Hindi.
AMID THE PROTESTS, OFFICIALS OF THE KEMPEGOWDA METRO STATION ON SUNDAY PUT TAPE ON THE HINDI SIGNAGES TO AVERT ANY UNTOWARD INCIDENT