This letter to the editor of Star of Mysore yesterday, from Madhuri Thathachari, offers loads of food for thought.
***
“I could not believe that our Central Government could be so blind to the feelings of Kannada people—the news that Rs 5 crore has been allocated for the development of the Classical Tamil Centre in Mysore.
“Kannada language with its rich literature unquestionably deserves the classical status and the Central Government has done nothing about it. I love and respect all languages and believe that we should encourage the development of all our languages.
“To announce the award of Rs 5 crore for the Tamil Centre when the people of Karnataka are hurt by the Cauvery verdict and the disinterest of the authorities in giving classical status to Kannada language is the height of callousness.
“One wonders if the Central Government is intentionally following the divide and rule policy, the legacy of the British.
“Is it a strategy to create a big rift between the Tamilians and the Kannadigas? We should not allow this to happen. If it is a strategy of any party to hurt the party in power that also should not be allowed. ‘We, the People’ should show that we are going to be united and shall not allow anyone to divide us.”
Nobody grudges if Tamil gets the status of a classical language. But it certainly hurts the sentiments of Kanndiagas if the central govt is insensitive to the feelings of the state. Kannadigas are not begging for any favour for asking the classical status for the language for it can claim its right on its own whether for its antiquity, unmatched literary tradition and its influence. Seven Gyanapita awardees unmatched in any language is only a small index of the influence it weilds on the literary canvas of India while many more deserved it. If today the govt has sanctioned Rs 5 crore for development of Tamil language in an organisation situated in Mysore, the govt is only pouring oil on the fire of discontent sweeping all over Karnataka on the inequity meted out. Cauvery isssue is on the boil which is largely attributed to the Tamail lobby. Is it that lobby scores over merit of the cause,justice and equity? Yes, Kannadiagas are slow to anger for Kannada language itself has a sobering influence in the highest tradition of ethics and morality but the govt shoudl be aware of the explosion it can cause when such people are roused when their patience is tested being continually subjected to inequity in every sphere including step-motherly approach to development pie.
Well said bapu. I second it. Waiting for elections to show these jokers the doors.
Well written post and comments too.Unless Karnataka has a strong Regional presence at the Centre ( ex: TDP during NTR and Chandrababu days , DMK/AIADMK ala MGR, Karunanidhi or Amma ), it will have nothing to show its people except hanging on to the coattails of ‘National’ Parties’ for their self interest. If some 20 MPs from the State can make/ Break a Govt. at the centre, then you will see everything coming our way, be it classical status, doubling railway line in a year and cauvery sharing in a more equitable way.Our politicians are not able to see this and are busy doing ‘Yadavi Kalaha’ amongst themselves all the time and seem to wait for things to come from Delhi to solve our problems!
Now the question comes who will fight the cause .We know the Politicians dont . We dont fight because we can only talk or write a criti.
Beedhige yiliyavaru yaaru ?
Do we need another vedike for this ?
This only proves what I had predicted earlier–Tamil as a classical language is only the thin edge of the wedge! Now face the music.
Even Anantha Murthy and Girish Karnad had said why not? Now those guys must relent or face public humiliation!
It is not a ploy to divide Tamils and KAnnadigas. It is only to serve and perpetuate Tamil as the only South Indian language.
Idhannu heegey bittrey, Kannadigarelle sath hoghtarey!!
On a related note.
In Mysore, for the past 30 days, people have been continuously protesting in various groups – teachers, students, lawyers, doctors, folk artists, women, etc. This is as democratic and as much of a grass roots peoples’ initiative as any. Yet there is no reverberation or awareness of this at the national level. This voice, which represents at least the 10 lakh Mysoreans, is not heard beyond the Bata showroom at KR circle just like the trees falling in the forest.
Day in and Day out we are seeying protests from all quarters in a more peaceful manner . recently I saw the Shoe repairs asscoiation taking out protest against cauvery tribunal.
Yesterday I saw parvathamma leading a protest in KR circle and sitting for a dharna . the whole mysore and mandya is in protest . couple of questions arise .
Why is it not being highligted in Churumuri or any leading news network?
KP and others ..you need to carry some report on daily protest thats happening in region with some highlights .Thats the least we can do for the region. We churumuri readers spread across globe can show solidarity .
On a different note
Why are we not seeing a similar protest in Karavali region , belgaavi,bijapura,kalburgi and bidhar? if this is the attitude of border districts . Why should they shout that their region is neglected?
Bapuji, Mohan Prakash, ERR and other honorable members of the august House of Churumuri, I beg to disagree.
I think Mysore should be proud to host a Tamil studies center. (What better way to score brownie points over Karunanidhi? :P — please note that the TN government is eager to move that center to Madras).
Why does Smt. Tathachari see P. Chidambaram’s act as callous? Beats me. What better house for such a center than at the Central Institute of Indian Languages, which Mysore is honored to host? It seems logical that the CIIL gets the classical Tamil center. Indeed, the increased allocation for Tamil was overdue given that the classical status was recognized in 2004.
Let’s be real, folks. We Kannadigas should stop grudging the Tamils for their recognition, and instead, step up our own campaign to get a similar deserved recognition for Kannada. Lobbying is important in any democracy; it may well be an essence of democracy. We need to present our case better. We need to take our focus off Tamil and shift it to Kannada instead.
And of course we should welcome the Tamil center in Mysore — that would be the decent thing to do.
*waiting for the brickbats*
Nikhil,
You need to live and face the music only then you would actually understand the feelings of us – the kannidagas. We are human and have high levels of tolarence but this should not be mistaken for anything else. If the protests have started its because the bomb has just exploded which had got concentrated beyond limits.
I have nothing against Tamil since it is my mother tongue but I have been born and brought up in Karnataka for my entire life. The tamil propogandists are infusing wound over wound but it has been kept quite. The last straw is the cavuery jaggurenaut rolled on us – we will fight when its the question of survival. What you need to understand is the chain of events which has climaxed to this limits – its not a isolated case of mysore getting some money for promoting money.
Hope the bricks were ducked and bats are hidden :-)
For the first time, a big Kannada contingent under the banner of KRV is moving to Delhi to protest the Cauvery verdict. Let us hope that this is the beginning of the end of our tolerant behaviour. The Govt wants to cut the KRV to size as it clearly a potent threat if KRV decides to fight the elections. That is one of the reasons there are two factions in the KRV today. Also the recent Session at Belgaum was to silence the V. It is ok if the Central Govt provides a grant to Tamil under the CIIL programme at Mysore. Since CIIL is located at Mysore, it could be any of the Indian languages. But what stops our MPs from representing our case. As someone has said above, our MPs have not done any lobbying. Infact, they are hardly heard in the Parliament.
Let the Ghyanapeetha awards be returned. The intellectuals should rise about suggesting ‘Bengaluru’ /Mysooru’ or suggesting implementation of the Cauvery verdict. They should be carrying out a different battle, while the politicians interested in the State should lobby hard. As Mr.ERR has said many times, a regional political outfit is the need.
DG – the constant neglect of the northern regions is the sole reason. And this is a fact. The recent Cauvery agitations were an indication of things to come. The northern districts were sore that none from the Cauvery basin supported them in their fight for Almatti or the Krishna. But they were good enough to support the Cauvery fight by saying that if this attitude continues, they would not support the southern districts. One of them even said that they were better off under the Hyd rule. Agree there are no protests in the regions you have mentioned. But Kannada has survived and is thriving because of these regions and ofcourse Mysore.
NM,
what sort of person are you?i cant fathom your logic.Atleast there is some logic to my rantings.(i am a tamil,who opposes tamil hegemony and increasingly fascist tendencies,towards KA, as this decision indicates.
KL, I’ve enjoyed many of your posts, but kshamisi budhi, kelavomme nimma vaisheshikavannu artha madkolodu thumba kashta! :)
Nikil Moro…u well said…
kannadigas change ur attitude about tamils since more kannadigas living in tamilnadu peacefully and respectfully.
so far tamilians are not thinking that kannadigas their problem,but u people are continuosly showing interest to hurt them whenever get chance… it making them disappoint day by day.
Politics and Karu & Co’s upper hand at Centre apart, it just happens that the Indian Language institute is in Mysore. Naturally even Assamese Development wing will come in Mysore centre only. So the article is void.