Former chief minister of Karnataka H.D. Kumaraswamy has urged the state government not to spend taxpayers’ money to celebrate Hindi Diwas, which is observed on September 14, and noted that promoting just one language was gross injustice to the people of the country.
The Janata Dal Secular leader on Monday wrote to BJP chief minister Basavaraj Bommai and urged him not to celebrate the event thrust upon by the Union government.
“India is a federation comprising more than 560 (princely) states where hundreds of languages and dialects exist. It is gross injustice to the people to promote just one language in such a country,” he stated in the letter written in Kannada.
“Forcibly celebrating the Union government’s event in Karnataka on September 14 will be an injustice to Kannadigas by the state government. I urge that the state government should under no circumstances celebrate Hindi Diwas using our taxpayers’ money.”
Kumaraswamy has been regularly opposing the observance of Hindi Diwas at the cost of state languages that are far older and richer.
This comes just days after chief secretary Vandita Sharma issued an order giving primacy to Kannada language at all government events held in the state. The order cited the Karnataka State Language Act, 1953, that makes it mandatory to use Kannada at all government programmes.
The order stated that Kannada should be used mandatorily on all backdrops, screens and panels on the platform or stage where any government event is held.
The move followed widespread use of Hindi at events attended by Union home minister Amit Shah, which sparked a major row in Karnataka. The outpouring of anger was directed at the BJP government for imposing Hindi in the state.
Kumaraswamy on Tuesday told a channel that there was no need to waste taxpayers’ money when states had their own problems and needed to finance welfare projects.
“What is the use of wasting taxpayers’ money to celebrate Hindi Diwas? We are facing several problems like floods in 22 of our districts,” Kumaraswamy said, justifying his position to focus on people’s problems rather than celebrate one language.
He also warned that celebrating just one language would trigger disturbances as states had their own languages. “This country has several states and several languages. Our task should be to safeguard the interests of all languages. Celebrating Hindi Diwas is to focus only on language. But the people are emotional about their respective languages and hence (celebrating Hindi) would trigger distances,” he cautioned.
Leader of the Opposition P.C. Siddaramaiah was among Congress leaders who questioned Bommai on his unfulfilled promise to allow Kannadigas to write central government exams in Kannada and described him as a “bombe” (puppet).
“When will you, Mr #BombeBommai, fulfil the promise of allowing candidates to write the Central Government exams in Kannada? Will @BJP4Karnataka leaders ever stand with aspirants from K'taka, Or will they continue to play to the tune of their masters?”
Like other southern states, Karnataka too had witnessed strong opposition to Hindi. The opposition to Hindi intensified with the Gokak Agitation in the 1980s, named after a committee headed by renowned Kannada writer Vinayaka Krishna Gokak that recommended primacy for Kannada in schools in the state.
The state has since witnessed regular protests against the imposition of Hindi in commercial banks and central government offices. Pro-Kannada organisations have annually observed Hindi Diwas as “black day” with protests and demonstrations.
In 2017, pro-Kannada organisations forced the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited to remove all Hindi signboards in metro stations and coaches in the city. The agitation was fought on the streets, at metro stations and online through a hashtag campaign.
