RAJEEV RAO writes from Bangalore: I was bemused and bewildered to read the Outlook cover story, “Why Bangalore hates IT Culture“. The choice of topic and the headline used would have been acceptable had it been by an intern at a journalism school submitting a project report for his/her course.
But a correspondent of a national newsmagazine?
A large City never has a white or black, either-or relationship with anybody or anything. There are hundreds of shades of grey in between. It is too simplistic (even stupid) to view Old Bangalore’s relationship with the IT industry through the monocle of “hate”.
It has a love-hate relationship. Just like old and new Madras, old and new Bombay, old and new Delhi. And the myriad towns and villages of Bharat that is India.
But the premise and conclusions of the Delhi-based magazine’s article sort-of epitomises everything that is wrong with the English media’s (in specific, and the national media’s, in general) coverage of and attitude towards Bangalore, Kannada, Kannadigas, and Karnataka.
If there is one thing that Bengalooru and the rest of Karnataka hates, and I am sure I am not alone in this, it is the English (national) media’s carelessness, callousness and general indifference to all things involving our State.
Not just the print medium, but all other vehicles of mass communication—radio, television, internet, etc, not excluding churumuri.
And here are the reasons (the list is by no means exhaustive):
# Because the broadcast bozos can’t even get the name of our language or our State right. Kannada is Kannada not Kannad. And Karnataka is Karnataka, not Karnatak. Are they blind? Can’t they see the ‘a’ at the end? Or don’t they just care?
# Because even prominent Kannada/Karnataka names are wrongly pronounced/spelt. Is it really so hard to pronounce names like Deve Gowda and Yediyurappa if you can master Nordic European names? It’s not Deve Goud, darlings; and it’s not Yedi-ury-appa, Rajdeep Sardesai.
# Because despite their deep pockets, all that these English TV honchos can hire are 20-something immigrant journalists who do not know their Mysoorus from their Mangaloorus (let alone our Haassanas from our Arasikeres). With just a passing acquaintance with Kannada or the history of the State, relying on “experts” who know even less, they dish out muck on every topic under the Karnataka sun with frightening poise that it takes the breath away. What a shame.
# Because Bengalooru for our English media has become just about M.G. Road, Brigade Road, Koramangala and Indiranagara. They forget, or rather ignore, that Bengalooru is also and more about Basavanagudi, Jayanagara, Vijayanagara, Peenya, Rajajinagara, Malleshwara, Hebbala, etc. More people live in and experience Bengalooru in these localities, but shockingly they just don’t seem to count.
# Because industry for our media has just come to mean the IT industry. Because infrastructure problems for our English media has just come to mean the road to Whitefield and Electronics City. Vadi? Yadgir? Pavagada? Where’s that?
# Because a college campus in Bengalooru for them only means St. Joseph‘s and Mount Carmel never National College, MES or Vijaya College. A school means Bishop Cotton’s. And of course a restaurant always has to be Koshy‘s.
# Because the English media propagates the fallacy that Kannada is understood only by a minority in Bengalooru. Sorry. People with Kannada as their mother tongue may be fewer than 50%, but more than 75% in Bengalooru understand Kannada, i.e. they can speak, read and write the language. Kannada is the single most used language in Bengalooru. This is never highlighted. This has singlehandedly hurt Kannada and the Kannadigas as a perpetuating self-fulfilling prophecy.
# Because the Kannada/Karnataka view is never highlighted in important issues like Cauvery dispute, the renaming (right naming) of Bangalore as Bengalooru etc. On the other hand, the same media doesn’t squirm when it comes to effectively highlighting the local point of view on issues in other States.
# Because the English media fails to project and highlight legitimate demands of Kannada and Karnataka, be it the Cauvery river water dispute or demand for classical language status. Sugata Srinivasaraju (the author of the Outlook article on “Why Bangalore Hates IT Culture), himself has the following comments on the Cauvery judgement: (a) “fair judgement” …. stuns Karnataka into a sputtering funk after the din of shrill sub-nationalistic rhetoric”, (b)”Karnataka can gladly focus on the pluses”. I wonder what the Tamil Nadu representatives had to say at the same time (or at different points of time during the dispute).
# Because in every forum on Bengalooru and Karnataka on the news channels and in the morning papers, immigrant intellectuals like Ramachandra Guha, and only like-minded Bengaloorigas like T.V. Mohandas Pai of Infosys and Kiran Majumdar Shaw of Biocon are invited, U.R. Anantha Murthy being the odd exception. Do they truly represent Bengalooru? Why not leading Kannada journalists like Vishweshwar Bhat or Ravi Belagere to present a different view. Except a Girish Karnad and Anantha Murthy, don’t we have someone with enough exposure to Kannada and Karnataka talk about issues pertaining to Kannada and Karnataka?
# Because a concert of Shah Rukh Khan in the City with 20,000 people attending is given front-page coverage in the English papers while a ‘Kannadave Sathya‘ concert by C. Ashwath at the Palace Grounds on the same day where close to a 100,000 people attended is buried deep inside.
# Because our English media always find the space, time and inclination to plug third-rate Bollywood, tamilwood and teluguwood content/people than to quality, original Kannada cinema. There is more coverage for Sivaji than for Mungaaru Male, there is more wisdom on Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam stars in the Sunday magazines than about Kannada stars. Because their film critics think all Kannada movies are “remade” while failing to point out that Paheli (India’s Oscar entry) was based on Nagamandala and Swades (another Oscar entry contender) was a remake of Chigurida Kanasu.
# Because the English newspapers have all the space in the world to list out the schedules of 10 Hindi channels on the listings page while they can accommodate only a couple of Kannada channels of the ten or more around.
# Because national media houses on radio consistently ignored Kannada for five years by beaming Hindi songs on Bengalooru’s first FM channel, Radio City, 24 hours of the day. The best (or should it rather be the worst) that they did was telecast Kannada songs on Saturday and Sunday mornings (when research has shown that the listenership numbers are significantly lower than weekday mornings) thus reducing Kannada to the status of “reserved category”. Today, Big FM and Radio Mirchi, predominantly belting out Kannada music, lead audience charts. Radio City has even stopped claiming to be No.1 in the city. Thankfully one end to the self-fulfilling prophecy.
# Because they constantly undermine the achievements of Kannadigas (example: recent churumuri article about Anil Kumble‘s success being despite him being a Kannadiga a case in point). I can only remember one cover story on Outlook about Karnataka cricketers when 6/7 players from Karnataka were playing for India and Kannada was as much of a lingua franca of the team as English/Hindi.
# Because the 14th (or 15th as the case maybe) of January is Makara Sankranthi, not Pongal; the festival of lights in Karnataka is called Deepavali not Diwali. Just for the unknowing, diwali in Kannada means pauper, or bankrupt, and that we most definitely are not.
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So, what’s your favourite crib about the English media’s coverage of Kannada, Kannadigas and Karnataka?
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Crossposted on sans serif
we’ve even had (and continue to have) governors who talk about karnataK and kannaD. can’t remember anyone highlighting this either.
just a thought on the movies bit. while it’s true that kannada doesn’t get the deserved english media space, is mungaru malhe – a bollywoodish sop-fest with a north import female lead and sonu nigam numbers – kannada’s best bet to take the dreaded invasion of other language films on? i have my doubts.
Even not being a kannadiga, i support this argument.
Yes! the english media doesn’t do the rite job it has to do… there are running behind TRPs and revenues. Obvious what can you expect from these US-based or aided Media peoples.
For these reasons, “Being conservative is good than Loosing our identity”. Only then we can bring out and prove our best.
The same thing happened to tamil movie industry long back. but people here (so called conservatives) never hated tamil movie or encouraged hindi or telugu movies even in hard times.
The growth of tamil movie industry is because of the support it got from its own people, which i think is somewhat lacking in karnataka.
Even some of my kannadiga friends were saying that
“Kannada movies are for rest of Karnataka not for Bengalooru”.
Couldn’t agree more with Rajeev and couldn’t help remembering Times of India when Rajeev mentions Koshy’s!!
My crib is against Deccan Herald which should ideally have bucked this trend, but NO !!
There are interviews in the Sunday supplement (movie section, pages 2 and 3) of Payal Rohatgi (??!?!), John Abraham (?!?!), and a story on Bollywood comebacks !!
This from a paper that is read by half-a-dozen people outside of Basavanagudi. This paper sure has great pretensions of competing against the TOI.
It is foolish to take outlook seriously, in one week’s time this issue is junk.
May be the reporters at the mentioned newspapers are just lazy, so they keep circulating the same name, hotels etc. If it is a dosa hotel then it has to be a vidyathi bhavan (hope you guys have tried at CTR opp malleswaram ground).
Well I agree the points made are important and the mainstream english media needs to be more careful and sensitive. I do have a question though: Why do you guys think they’re covering Karnataka as they are? Or maybe I should ask why are they making as many mistakes as they are? Is it on purpose? probably not. And if its not deliberate wouldn’t it be a lot more sensible to laugh it off as their ignorance (maybe write a satirical piece about it) on one hand and educate people on the other rather than writing what comes across as a rather bitter piece?
My first question to Rajeev is ‘Yes. Let’s accept Sugata’s argument that Bangalore hates IT culture. And why not?’. Isn’t it high time that we hated IT culture? My contention is that the Old Bangalore was too cozy with the IT culture, the original inhabitants of the ancient Bangalore 10 years ago, reaped their rewards, perpetually raping the city – until their images and identities came under a most severe attack that is. We had to hate the IT culture much before it gobbled the whole identity of the city. Look at this wonderful city called Chennai. It is an amazing city. People become high-collared about Chennai’s Tamil Chauvanism, people cheating those who can’t understand Tamil, or people forcing outsiders to learn Tamil etc. This has not deterred any of the IT capital inflows or exports, has it?
Now, the question of the English media not recognizing the detailed texture of our old city. That is because, the English speaking Kannada people themselves do not identify with their own city’s traditions. How much did we care for the symbols of our city’s traditions? (We do care now, because, these traditions have been rewarded an antique value.. our Annamma dance, DoLLu kuNita, Kadalekaai parishe etc) But when it mattered, we were too excited to be morphed.
Coming back to the write up –
This is a very well argued write up. The enumerated points here reflect the deep sense of hurt Rajeev has felt for a much abused fabric of our dear old city. It is but human to be nostalgic and we all agree that our dear old bengaLooru with its week long rainy spells and jittery cold and silent roads in the not too distant past evokes strong emotions and memories of a bygone era of smells and colours and the modest virginity of its culture (is it all true???). Memories and nostalgia are like that.
There are a few of interrelated themes that Rajeev has used here.
1. Bangalore – BengaLooru (a symbolic tribute to the old OOru)
2. Kannada consciousness
3. An immensely problematic juxtaposition of a Globalized reality with a local identity
Has Bangalore remained a Kannada city? Has any region in India remained its old self? It is to simplistic to blame globalization for it, but the reality, it seems is that in a sovereign republic like ours, there is no judicial, legistative or executive powers to restrain people from internal emigration. This emigration which is probably the root cause of all our ire, was self-controlled until the IT revolution. This issue is again interlinked with the question of collective identity. Societies try to have a strong collective identity. The Kannada identity has not taken off ground for numerous reasons. There was one Dr. Rajakumar, who could have been many things, but limited himself to being very limited.
Now, Rajeev’s ire is very well pointed at the English media (we some how don’t mind Hindi people calling it as bunglOr from time immemorial) or that Tamil and Telugu people, while speaking Tamil and Telugu pronouce it purely as ‘beMgaLoorulo’, or ‘beMgaLoorley’. This shows that Rajeev’s enumeration is pretty accurate. What I noticed however is that the subtext of the reasoning that is absent.
Rajeev,
Very nicely described our state’s plight. It has always been ‘step motherly’ treatment for karnatak, sorry ‘karnataka’. I am always welcomed by auto drivers in Bangalore by ‘kidhar jana hai’. I see more people ridiculing ‘Vatal Nagaraj’ than supporting him. How many of us have the guts to ride on a donkey or buffallo for the cause of kannada?
Swamy,
I agree with you on most of the things. I am with CNN IBN in New Delhi.
I am a 200% practising Kannadiga.
Swamy, I have ensured that we call it Deepavali not diwali in CNN IBN.
Also Sankranti not Pongal, Ganesh Chathurthi not Ganpati bappa, Also Navaratri or Dasara not Dussehera!
We also go to Hallimane and MTR, not just Koshys. We also use Kannada newspapers, not just English for morning newspaper segments.
It is true that most of the reporters who work for English tv chennels and newspapers in Bangalore have nothing to do with Karnataka.
It is also true that we have much better people than the two mentioned by you as potential panelists.
We give opportunity to local people like Ramesh, Indrajit Lankesh, Kavitha, Gauri, Ananthnag, Dr. Kshitiz Urs, V N Subbarao, Prof. Sandeep Shastri and many others in our discussions.
We can ‘ t change the system overnight. I am making an effort at personal level to change the mindset of media bosses in Delhi.
Undoubtedly CNN IBN covers Karnataka and Kannada better than our competing channels. I am ready for an open debate.
I do admit that it is not enough. Unless we get good local talents, can’t achieve much.
Many Kannada speaking young English journos from Bangalore can’t do justice to their state and its culture. My personal experience says they are worse than the outsiders. A pure Kannadiga from Bangalore (he is an English journo) doesn’t know anything about the state. He once asked me silly questions about Urs, Hegde and Rajkumar.
We need people from other parts of the state.
I don’t see anything wrong in Sugata’s article. IT culture has done more harm to state than anything else.
Outsiders (or non-Kannadigas) often see our healthy cultural pride as parochial concerns.
Thanks and open to debate / suggestions.
Swades is a remake of Kannada movie? Nice to know such things. But why did the called media did not mentioned it? And why the hell the so called producers claim them as ‘Originals’. And finally, what the producer of Original Kannada movie is doing?
The solutions to stop this disgusting treatment of kannadigas and karnataka from the people north of vindhyas are:
1)Starting our own national channel owned by a kannadiga.
2)stop respecting north indians and hindi(I Still find people who view north indians as highly talented and scholars in sanskrit etc)
3)stop calling sanskrit the mother of kannada. kannada was influenced by sanskrit but not derived form it. it has a script and language structure of its own.
4)giving the local talents there due place instead of importing talents from outside
5) stop talking in hindi with non kannadigas.. let us talk them with either kannada or english.
6)introducing two language system in schools and colleges instead of the existing 3 language system thereby removing hindi.
WOW..!!! superb article.
Every word written in the article is true. This is the situation we are living in.
There are two issues here, but Rajeev Rao makes the mistake of confusing one for the other.
There can be little doubt that the impact of IT on Bangalore, whether positive or negative, needs to be discussed, dissected and debated. Just because IT has given Bangalore something to crow about, or created jobs or made reated lots of millionaires, it doesn’t mean the media or the rest of the non-IT crowd have no right to ask any questions.
This is the precise role the Outlook magazine article has fulfilled. It has asked some questions, when the rest of the Bangalore media have been only too happy to see the city screwed while they have coloured their bottomline with black ink.
Some of us may like the questions, many of us may hate it, but that is the role of a free and vibrant media.
Unfortunately, from there, Rajeev Rao jumps to the conclusion that the Outlook article, motivated as it may be by the author’s political, personal and ideological biases, or its editor’s zeal to sensationalise, is another exhibit in the media Hall of Shame. The article is poorly written, it is low of facts, stuffed with silly generalisations, and quotes the usual suspects, but that is just a reflection of the journalist’s inadequacies.
Why blame all the English media for it? At least, Outlook is looking at the south of the country and at least it has thrown up something the rags and advertising tipsheets of Bangalore have been thoroughly incapable of noticing or picking up.
If I remember right, Outlook asked similar questions about infrastructure in late 1995. If in 2007, it is still asking them, it shows that cities have their own way of resolving these things that escapes kurta-wearing jholawalas shooting the breeze at Koshy’s with the very people they are decrying.
Hats off Rajeev for putting it so perfectly !
These were the questions ringing in my ears since the day I came to bengalure, five and a half years back.
South of vindhya’s has the highest literacy rate(read it English literacy), but still the bosses in media channels located in delhi ignore this fact.
English media here glorify Bollywood, TOI in bengaluru gives undue importance to actors from all other languages but kannada. Have they ever given any interviews with Manomurthy? the man who changed the way people look at kannada movies with his soul stirring music??
Did they ever write anything about pioneers of modern karnataka. S G Balekundri gave life to lakhs of farmers with the construction of dams like Alamatti, ghataprabha, hidakal dams. Leave all that,, they hardly mention anything about the greatest of great M Visveswariah whom the farmers in mandya/mysuru worship. He did a great deal of work all across the country. But, his birthday gets a notice in kannada news papers. Why is this bais against us??
High time, the English media recruit locals for reporting, instead of some weirdos who know nothing but MG Road/Brigade Road , IT Cos and Narayan Murthy..
Great article !!
All the words reflect genuine reality around us. Hightime, our language, our culture, our people get more notice and coverage in these medias.
You reap what you sow….
When Kannadigas couldn’t live without Tamil movies and Tamil TV channels for a few weeks…why should they complain about Kannada being ignored by outsiders?
@Thympanna,
tamilaru aa galate maadiddu.. and it’s not kannadigas who can’t live without tamil channels and movies. may be 5-10% of kannadigas watch those crap tamil movies. Don’t genaralise everything.
DP Satish, I agree that CNN-IBN gets things right, once in a century but, Times Now has a better coverage of news from Bengalooru(excluding those Page 3 stuff!).
More than all these discussed, factual inaccuracies and ignorance reign supreme. None of these MSM go back in history of this part and give us an accurate background of the news.
diwali in Kannada means pauper
I guess, it is same in Hindi too… it symbolises a person going bankrupt to a cracker bursting. avan business bomb aaghoytu antha.
Not a witty nick – what is MSM?
RAJEEV RAO Awesome, Salute!
@D.P. Satish,
Thank you for your candid opinions. You are correct about most of the young Kannadiga journos working for English media in Bengaluru. Most of them have trouble figuring out what lies beyond the outer ring road.
@Goldstar, I agree with you on Deccan Herald issue. Who gives a sh*t about Payal Rohatgi in Bengaluru? Who makes these dumb decisions at DH? Someone needs to send these jokers a map of India superimposed with their circulation figures by geography. This shows that local media ownership is no solution either.
Quality of Kannada press is also bad. Prajavani, VK, Kannada Prabha etc. try their best to cover statewide issues. But the quality is missing. Many of the burning issues are high on emotion but low on facts and objectivity. Slowly but surely many of these papers are aping their English brethren and turning into consumer guides.
Presspersons are basically rejects from other fields/ failures in class 10
they do not research…
they do not verify…
they want everyone to believe their story! (even if it is at the cost of truth)
they dont bother to publish clarifications, even after standing exposed…
so why take them seriously?
Spot on.
While we are at it, can anyone please please tell me when Ramanagara became Ramanagaram? I have been trying to find out the exact point at which the city changed names in popular media. It was always Ramanagara when I was a kid until the mid-90s.
My guess it has something to do with the Railways – given that all of it is managed by our southern neighbours.
I agree. Many in the North are ignorant of Karnatakans who are referred to as Madraasis. When I was testifying in a court in Delhi many years ago following the arrest of the thieves who had burgled my home, the ‘honourable judge’ took exception when I mentioned that I was from Mysore. He said that I had taken an oath saying that ‘I would tell the truth and nothing but the truth’. I had to educate him on the geography of South India saying that Madrasis were in the state of Tamilnadu and that there were two other states besides Karnataka — Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.
The judge asked the police to return me the stolen silver that was later examined by the jeweller who pronounced his judgement. “These are rods of lead, madam”, he told my wife. “They have been coated with silver, anyway!”
Excellent Article,Has said everything I wanted to say.
It is ridiculous to blame English media / outsiders for perception of Bangalore when local reporters are not exactly Pulitzer winning material journalists!
Take an example recently in Udupi where reporters did not know the difference between LANCO and CAMPCO and blindly published misleading stories (see link: http://tinyurl.com/2hexg4) thus becoming a laughing stock!
Basic journalistic traits of doing basic research is missing as more and more unqualified “can’t-get-any-other-job-so-ended-up-as-journalist” are flooding the media scene.
“Kannada is Kannada not Kannad. And Karnataka is Karnataka, not Karnatak.” I had a tough time reminding my roomates about this…………. 2 years later my 2 North Indian roomates speak decent kannada.
hi,
I completely agree with Ravi Rao that the standard of people who write about Kannada are not soo good, but my dear friend ….remember 1996…
1.All the IT guys who had the chance of a lifetime to make our language big did nothing but talk about English,Hindiand other langauage movies in work,pantry,party almost every where.
2.I will hardly find any soo called IT Kannidaga talking about his culture,food,dress,family and movies.
3.First to let our own people down. How many of us have encouraged our own guys in the industry?Meaning recruited or refferred..ops we are immerressed in our work nothing to do with HR
4.How many of you at least spend 100 Rs and enjoy a Kannada movie even though it is farr more superior than Akshay kumar’s stupid over the top commidies…
5.How many of you talk to your work mates in your language ,and my dear friend also how many of us raise our voice when Kumble or Dravid is dropped.
First Let us start talk,Walk and Sleep our language and give the best insights to all the people who come to our state and learn their insights as well…
At least now with other industries gaining momentum like finance ,Infrstructure,retail,garment ,Agriculture ….hope the people in these industry wont make the same mistake of 1996-2004 It era…
Then we will have people talking about karnataka,C. Ashwath ,Mysore Dasara,Tindi beedi, and hopefully we will get more coverage for Galipata…….than Welcome …..
Hemanth Urs
It is over simplification of facts. There was a time when you read News paper journalist used to be well read and did their homework. Not today. Now It is all bout breaking news and dead lines. Recently a NIE published an article on the eve of Rajyotsava saying who is this Goddess Bhuvaneshwari and found an obscure temple in Bhuvanagiri and fifteen days later DH followed suit and did an identical story. Both were pointed out that there is Goddess Bhuavneshawri Temple right inside Mysore Palace Fort and yet they did not want to carry the correction !
Just today an educated Kannadiga asked me to what is bangalooru Habba and the news paper says Habba concluded with flourish and Bangalore rocked to kadri or sukhwinder etc. That way Ganesh is a Nepali ! so does it matter. Thnaks to sonu Nigam every one hums Anisuthide song. So which one do you like . The list of anachronism can go on. The truth is Bangalore is not Karnataka and vice versa.
I am also a Kannadiga as much as Rajiv Rao is but he is making mountain of a mole because:
1) There cannot be a black and white divide between the old and new but there is certainly a black and white divide between the old problems that the city faced and the new problems that IT-led growth created, economically, politically and culturally. So the other side of the IT boom should be highlighted…Thanks Sugata you have taken up to do it though i quite do not agree with your frequent half-baked anti-Narayana Murthy tirade
2) Try pronouncing Kayyaara Kinhanna Rai. I bet you and many of more breast beating Kannadigas here cannot…so why blame some north Indian friends for small mistakes in pronunciation such as Dev Gouda. What if Achutanandan asks all kannadigas in Kasaragod and other parts of Kerala to pack off because they cannot call thiruvananthapuram as thiruvananthapura or because Kannadigas there pronounce something like Pankajaakshi while Malayalees pronounce it as Pangajaagshee….
3) English dailies in Karnataka cannot find enough Kannadigas with enough local knowledge to work for them…so they employ those who do not. because the brighter Kannadigas have gone in search of greener pastures in IT, Banking….and so on
4) And about your charge that English dailies in Karnataka do not give enough publicity to Kannada movies when compared to Sivaji…. i cannot accept this. Those Kannada movies which deserved publicity have got it. The somewhat equivalent of Rajanikanth in Kannada movie world had got more than enough publicity in the Bangalore-based English media as long as he was alive, deserved or undeserved…
6) You said it right…it is the misfortune of Kannadigas that they have to accept journalists like Ravi Belagere (yellow) and Vishweshwara Bhat (saffron) as the leading lights in the field… Fortunately, you have not added the name of Praveen Shetty and Narayan Gowda as saviours of Kannada. what else explains Kannadigas misfortune more than this….Why blame those English newspapers engaged in their own struggle for survival
7) Come on….Swadesh is a remake of Chigurida Kanasu?…. A simple story-line that even a primary school student can write. It is not impossible that two people in this country of one billion to hit upon this story idea…By the way how could none of more than 100 pc kannadigas who left their comments here forgot to mention that Chigurida Kanasu was based on Shivaram Karanth’s novel by the same name….
8) Anil Kumble…. The oriental circle was first renamed as natyarani shantala vrutta….and no tears were shed for this Kannadiga queen of the Hoysala dynasty when one fine day it was renamed after Anil Kumble…Kannadigas who forget history are condemned to repeat it sometime…..Come on more than enough is written about all cricketers in English media….(by the way thank god you have not included Anil Kumble also as a immigrant Kannadiga for his ancestors are from Kumble, which is now part of Kerala thanks to the weak spine of we Kannadigas)
9) Someone mentioned about the Late Balekundri being ignored in the Engish media…for your information the only comprehensive article on this engineer killed in a road accident was in the Indian Express (now NIE)…
10) Let us grow up from our parochial, narrow visions first…if we excel English media will be forced to recognise us. Let a Kannadiga start an English newspaper first (Harikumar and co are immigrant Kannadigas according to your classification for they speak telugu and would have immigated from AP centuries ago). The only Kannadiga who started one abandoned it when he realised that there is a lot of difference between running lorries and running a newspaper, and that there is a some difference between managing lorry drivers and managing journalists.. Let us make our own people take some pride in our language and culture and then blame others for not giving us publicity…Let us learn to stop accepting extortionists as leaders of Kannada activism…..
@Pavithra,
You have put up some points which can be hardly ignored. But the same time, you also need to do some homework about few of your points.
1> Ravi Belagere / Vishweshwar Bhat are definately the best in class journalists and unlike few persons like URA and some English journalists, didn’t sell their souls for a BDA site.
2> Why take Praveen Shetty and Narayan Gouda in the same breath?? Praveen Shetty is a gunda. But Narayan Gouda had done a great deal of work in instilling confidence in Kannadigas. Go to Belagavi and you’ll get the proof. Marathas used to beat black and blue who dared to speak in kannada not long ago. Narayana gouda’s KRV has put the confidence in kannadigas in border areas ( I am also from Belagavi dist and hence I am commenting) and for the first time,, kannadigas got together in the local body elections and are on the verge of ruling the Belagavi corporation. Ofcourse when all the national parties were mum on Mahadayi project, it is Narayan gouda who took to the streets and people followed him. Not to forget, the famous 25000 farmers rally to delhi, which successfully forced the central govt to defer it’s decision of KAveri tribunal judgement.
You have definately given few very good thoughts which all kannadigas must think. Sametime, I think we must not be biased against anything without due diligence.
Hi INDIAN’s
Kannadiga’s :) can be nominated for MEGA ONLINE LION’s award, these guys shout 100 lines here and spend 1000 bucks to watch a SRK starrer SWADES :).
And most the people who commented above are subscribers of English dailes.
We are all one, we need to love and live with Integrity :)
Ji Jawaan, Ji Kisaaan, Ji Hindhustan.
@ Pavithra
1. And about your charge that English dailies in Karnataka do not give enough publicity to Kannada movies when compared to Sivaji…. i cannot accept this. Those Kannada movies which deserved publicity have got it. The somewhat equivalent of Rajanikanth in Kannada movie world had got more than enough publicity in the Bangalore-based English media as long as he was alive, deserved or undeserved…
1. Joke of the day, does SHIVAJi deserve publicity before release, haha, it’s like naming unborn kid as Dr. Abdul Kalam.
Why do the same English Dailies forget to write on Om which even after 10 years of release run packed house.
Or MM which completed one year at PVR where even the Same Shivaji is paying to survive its screening .
6) You said it right…it is the misfortune of Kannadigas that they have to accept journalists like Ravi Belagere (yellow) and Vishweshwara Bhat (saffron) as the leading lights in the field… Fortunately, you have not added the name of Praveen Shetty and Narayan Gowda as saviours of Kannada. what else explains Kannadigas misfortune more than this….Why blame those English newspapers engaged in their own struggle for survival
How about Salman Khan, Sanjay Dutt ??
How about Amitabh who at his lineage never forgets to romance his grand daughter aged gals!!!
7) Come on….Swadesh is a remake of Chigurida Kanasu?…. A simple story-line that even a primary school student can write. It is not impossible that two people in this country of one billion to hit upon this story idea…By the way how could none of more than 100 pc kannadigas who left their comments here forgot to mention that Chigurida Kanasu was based on Shivaram Karanth’s novel by the same name….
Come on…. SAP was a name my great grandfather decided to name his new business establishment. It is not impossible that two visionary people in this Universe of one billion to hit upon this naming convention… by the way how could none of more than 100 pc eminent personalities who left their comments here forgot to mention that SAP means PIG.
@ Naren.. rightly said..
Pavithra is another… Cosmo… Hifi Kannadathi… who feels being a kannadiga & talking abt kannada related rights & asking for our own existence in our very own land is a crime.
I try to speak in Kannada whenever I initiate the conversation with strangers/ friends/ salesmen/ auto drivers or anybody else.
I have tried this before, they tend to respond in ENGLISH!
At some point i was so irritated to see ENGLISH response for my every KANNADA sentence.
* I’ve seen people who write articles in Kannada about how Kannada is dying in Karnataka. They publicly say that everyone should learn Kannada and people should send their children to Kannada schools. But, all those people will be sending their children to English medium schools.
* This kind of language invasion is not the first time in our history. Moreover change is inevitable everywhere. Many many words in Kannada are derived from Sanskrit, hindi, urdu etc languages. Now they are part of kannada language. These invasions are not just limited to Kannada. Even English has got so many thousands of words from other languages. If you can see, it has got so many Hindi words. ‘Guru’ is part of English language now. So, from time to time language will change BUT without loosing its original things. Thus, it will become more rich.
* About the movies in Kannada and songs. If the songs(came in 90’s) are so bad that even being a pure Kannadiga and also a admirer of Kannada, I started hating those songs. I completely stopped listening to those. See, finally only when the quality is good, everybody go for it. Human nature. But, again these days Kannada movie industry is improving and we started seeing good songs, movies thus people started listening to Kannada songs again. Whom to blame here? There was a report that few families in the Kannada movie industry were holding the industry and thus we were not getting good and quality movies/songs. In any way, it is part now. We have started seeing so many good movies/songs in Kannada. So, always we should think about improvements.
* Most of our this generation Kannadigas(particularly in Bangalore) are somehow feel discomfort in speaking Kannada outside. They feel like speaking in English is good for their social status. Just see the reaction of ording something in Restaurants of our Bangalore. If you order in English, you get a good response. This is bitter still that is the truth.
Whom to blame for all these? We should blame ourselves and the mentality of our Kannadigas not the IT or anything else.
i was beginning to agree with this rao fellow. but the moment he mentioned ravi belagre and v bhat i understood the third rate benchmark he has for good journalism. everybody knows how much bhat promotes sudha narayana murthy in his paper. there were rumours that bhat may edit a paper that sudha murthy may start. this rao fellow is not only an rss pracharak but also a hard-boil chauvinist. i have a suspicion this rao is writing at the instance of bhat. one thing is he has a terrible inferiority complex and that is why he is railing against the english media.
ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC .
Think its high time someone came up with a write up like this.This really moved me because i have been a victim of the “cantt” mentality racisism which is more than conspicous and manifest in eat outs like KHOSHYS.Ironically the so called pseudo intellects who hang out in large numbers at palces like the KHOSHYS come from the petey ares like basavangudi,malleswaram etc.Wonder if it is our own “tribe” who are in a way responsible.Their fascination for every thing english would make even the englishman give up his own mothertongue.
@ VK
But, again these days Kannada movie industry is improving and we started seeing good songs, movies thus people started listening to Kannada songs again. Whom to blame here? There was a report that few families in the Kannada movie industry were holding the industry and thus we were not getting good and quality movies/songs.
Can you please let us know the source and the families which was behind decable performance of KFI?????
Also Infy has a great share in IT industry that doest mean they can stop quality from my company :)
This is simple any layman with basic Brain will get this right :)
Waiting for your info.
@armugam,
swamy,, out of context maatadabedi. He is mentioning the plight of kananda and kannadigas at the present hour. You talk about Ravi Belagere, can you deny the fact that his “Hi bengaluru” is the numero uno in kananda weekly from many years now? Nobody can sustain writing false things. Ravi Belagere has definately given some of the finest literary works in Kannada. Read his ” Himalayan blunder, or Heli Hogu Kaarana” and you will know it. I am an ardent reader of Vi.Ka and I have been reading it since the day of it’s inception. I have never seen Bhat favouring Sudha murthy. Don’t utter rubbish things and please Don’t talk our of pre-judice against the author Ramesh Rao.
Excellent article. It has expressed all our Kannadigas thoughts and feelings.
Thumba thumba chennagide.
@ pavithra
Before talking about Narayana Gowda please go through the below link
http://www.karnatakarakshanavedike.org and then talk. Please do not comment
without knowing it.
not only this,,
recent bengaluru habba also did the same thing about us.. neglected kannada artists..
Thought provoking write-up, Rajeev. Thanks a ton!
We, Kannadigas, are to be blamed for the sorry state of affairs. We like ‘imported stuff’, and ‘desi/local versions’ are dumped in the bin. Bangalore, Bengaluru, Bong-looru, we are ready to accept any amount of crap.
This question has been plauging me for quite sometime: Why did Mano Murthy had to get Shreya Ghosal when we had the brilliant MD Pallavi in the backyard? Aruluthiru… would have sounded 200 times better, I bet.
Its Kanada! Not Kan’n’ada. :)
Thought provoking, candid and excellent.
As kodugu community says we can also introspect,
how many of us buy kannada magazines, books, see kannada movies,
How may books in kannada are there on IT, on science and technology, what about our kannada software, is it standardised, etc.
Created a storm when none existed.The blogger unfortunatley has mixed up so many issues which are cant be justified by any community or nation.We are a nation of Indians and belong to the State of Karnataka , and the lowest common denominator which can be used is Kannadiga.You talk of cnn ibn and other english media channels.
Most of you must be aware that Udaya TV is promoted by a Tamilian and Eenadu tv , promoted by a Andraite .they pioneered the revival of the Language which was once discared.They had the Profit motive but spare a thought for their acheivement.Has any kannadiga ever thought on those lines earlier inspite of deep pockets.Taking a few names out of context and labelling them as immigrants is worse than what the ENGLISH media is doing.Please do remember Masti Venkatesh iyengar , R K narayan and many other great scholars and visionaries are also settlers.And to top it all MOST of the Kannada films were earlier shot in MADRAS and the Great Doctor Raj was a resident of chennai.MTR gets more coverage in National newspapers and Foodie magazines than Koshy.Rahul Dravid is not from Bangalore.
Karnataka is now famous for the Narayan Gowda’s and Shetty’s who hold the city to ransom.Does any one here know their means of livelihood and how they manage to Live ?? all extortionists and they get maximum publicity in some recently launched news channels.Lets not forget the Kotwals Jairajs Muthappas Jederhalli’s who all were Kannadigas.and was TELGI also a Kannadiga ?? Daily dose in newspapers is the Murders of various rowdies and politicians and gang rivalry.All these exist in other cities but not to this extent.
The filth of Deve gowda family is to be seen to be belived.A person riding a 2 wheeler 25 years ago is the richest GUY holding benami land holdings running into lacs of acres.
We as Kannadigas are known to be extremely soft spoken and no wonder people forget about the existence of kannada and kannadigas.
To the extent that if the person in front of us speaks in hindi/tamil/telugu,we are too happy to forget our mother tongue and speak in hindi/tamil/telugu even though we might know just 2 or 3 words of these languages.
It’s not wrong to help an outsider if he does not know kannada,but we have people from other states settled here for generations but still say that they don’t know kannada.
It’s not right on our part to let other languages dominate ours in our own state.
Kannadigas wake up! Don’t believe your neighbours if they say they don’t know kannada.Make it a point to speak only in kannada with such people.
After all everyone has to learn the language of the state they live in:).
Kodagu Community,
Mano Murthy has gone on record saying that, there is no language barrier for music and if he finds a suitable singer outside kannada movie industry he will be happy to use the talent…go figure. BTW this trend was started by none other than Ha(i)msalekha, who single handedly ruined the kannada music with his maalu/baalu lyrics and god awful tunes
Mayura
Hi All,
I am working in IT industry from last 5 years currently working in Bengaluru. IT in Bengaluru initially was a boon as it created lot of job oppurtunities. My family being here for more than 40 years now, we are not able to buy one 30*40 site. This is the other side of IT growth. Also, the culture city is no more. Now you see ppl wearing less clothes as possible and roaming around all the malls and pubs in the city. If we see on the longer run, this IT is going to spoil our culture.
There is a saying that “be a roman in rome”. But, why does that doesnt apply for Bengaluru?????????.
I am travelling to office by company bus for last 5 years and always hindi/english music is being played. When I ask to play kannada song there is large section of ppl who oppose it saying that they cant understand kannada songs and they say hindi is our national language. I agree hindi is our so called national language, but becos of that do we need to listen to all bullshit bollywood songs???
The same people listen when driver plays Telugu and Tamil songs.
I am sorry to say that there are lot of locals in our bus but no one opposes it. They simply ignore these things.
Since, IT is giving us bread that doesnt mean that we need to be tortured like this everywhere.
Hey guys,
The main problem with us is the unity and also the leadership qualities.
When some one stands for the cause like Mr.Vatal Nagraj, Mr.Narayana gowdru….ppl dont support them…rather they make fun or backstab.
First everyone learn to support ppl who stand for kannada, karnataka, kaveri cause.
There are more than 15 kannadigas in the bus i travel, but no one speaks out when hindi/english/telugu/tamil songs are being played with high volume. No one asks why kannada is not being played. When I go and fight with the driver, no one supports…they want to just c the fun i think.
Manjunath,
Rightly said. When I recently travelled by Volvo bus from bangalore-mysore, I told the driver before boarding that kannada movie should be played sincce we are in karnataka. I even jokingly threatened him that I will take a regular bus, if he doesn’t play kannada movie. He didn’t respond. To my surprise, when the bus started nice kannada movie ‘Hosa Belaku’ (a clean entertainer) was played. All the kannadigas in the bus watched it without blinking and seemed to be enjoying. When I got down from the bus, the driver called me and said ‘Madam, I had a Hindi movie CD ready to be played, since no one asks for kannada movie. Since you requested before boarding, I was happy to play it for you”. I thanked the driver and came home smilingly. Unfortunately, ‘kannada prema’ is seen mostly in the bus drivers, auto drivers category. In our locality, auto drivers’ association celebrates ‘kannada rajyothsava’ every year without fail in November on a grand scale. When I enquired, they said it is done with their own money. These are the guys who fight with us for one or two rupees, but spend thousands of their hard earned rupees towards their love for kannada. I like to see IT people doing that.
people like pavitra and prasad have a problem in accepting that the english media neglects any news related to kannada-kannadiga-karnataka (K-K-K). they have deflected the entire debate from these issues that have been well articulated by Rajeev Rao.
Making loose remarks about organizations like KRV which have been fighting for the legitimate rights of kannada-kannadiga-karnataka for the past 3-4 years has become a fashion on these type of forums. krv has been building a strong organization uniting kannadigas across the state and creating awareness about their kannadiga identity. before talking about KRV and Narayana Gowda, suggest these arm-chair journalists do some field work across karnataka and understand the goodwill that kannadigas across the state have for KRV and its leader Narayana Gowda.
@Nina,
It was very touching to read about rajyotsava by Auto Drivers.
Also somebody talked about Narayan goudru holding the city for ransom. I feel one should not talk out of prejudice and should give enough thoughts before they utter things. I am from hubballi and I have seen how the Ka Ra Ve faught for Mahadaayi project implementation for drinking water supply to our city. There was this huge gathering in Indira Glass house and our very own PaPu ( Patil Puttappa) appreciated KRV for their fight for the cause of kannada. Remember, Papu who spear headed the Karnataka Ekikarana movement, doesn’t trust any politician and is a big critic of all politicians.
I trust Narayan gaudru and KRV coz
1> They united the kannadigas in belagavi and for the first time in history, kannadigas will take the charge of belagavi corporation.
2> KRV has instilled confidence in kannadigas across the border to andhra where the settlers from Andhra are ruling with their muscle and money power. My friend vijas from kushtagi in raichuru taluk told me that now-a-days, there is no violence on kannadigas in their village due to the presence of KRV.
3> KRV’s delhi yaatra with 25000 farmers from mandya/mysuru region forced the PM to stall the notification of Kaveri Tribunal judgement.
4> KRV is not just another kananda sangha who just celebrates rajyotsava and annamma utsava. They are spear heading all the fights against all the issues that are plagueing our state.
5> What more proof then the recent samaavesha where a crowd of 1 lakh people gathered. People are not foolish to come in such large numbers if they don’t trust the leader.
Please stop taking Praveen shetty and narayan goudru in the same breath.
@ Sree rama, you cheap… “stop respecting North Indian” it seems. and do you think you’ll be respected in turn. nice prescription. start your own channel, start your own radio. but why it is not happening? because sreerama is sitting and typing in English!!?
Also we dont refer to them as Rajastan, Western UP, Eastern UP, Bihar etc. we refer as North Indians. So nothing wrong in them branding as Madrasis. Because Madrasis were there before Kannadigas woke up!
You people can only bark, no bite.. because it is money, honey!
A couple of factual corrections:
Swades is a rewrite of Chigurida Kanasu. The same writer Sathya (son-in-law of drama artiste makeup Nani) has written this. You can see this at:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367110/fullcredits#writers
Nagamandala and Paheli are both based on Indian folk stories and Paheli was based on a Rajasthani piece of literature. Nagamandala was based on Karnad’s work.
It is also not true that IT people do not talk about Kannada. I am a IT person and we discuss regularly about Kannada. We talked about the URA SLB divide in Kannada literature. We talk about movies like Aa dinagalu. If we do not talk about some of the shit remakes like chelluvina chittara, then do not blame us.
Also, I’ve seen a lot of call centre cab drivers and office boys and many others who are kannadaigaru reap the benefit out of the IT industry.
For a long time now, I’ve been adopting the Love Kannada aspect instead of Hate other languages and its deeply satisfying.
>> Why blame all the English media for it? At least, Outlook is looking at the south of the country and at least it has thrown up something the rags and advertising tipsheets of Bangalore have been thoroughly incapable of noticing or picking up. >>
Dear Aatmasakshi,
Although you said there are “two issues” here..your post did not reveal what the other issue is/was. I assume there is no “other issue” then. Fair enough.
And you commit the same mistakes you accuse the author of. Sure, no one is questioning the rights of media to raise issues. I don’t even get the logic of segregating the issue as IT and non-IT. In Bangalore both co-exist. And you are terribly happy that outlook raised the issues while the “rest of the media” just sat for a decade without raising any voice. Which place on earth are you living in? Don’t you read any Kannada newspaper? For example Vijaya Kanataka, Prajavani. They too raise the issues and we frankly discuss them. If you need be informed, TOI also raises the questions of infrastructure. If any one should be accused of writing without veracity, it is you my dear friend.
Let’s get this straight. Most of the English media does not go beyond Indiranagar, Airport road, MG and Brigade. Whether you agree or not it is the truth. For us (I am from Rajajinagar) the english media is a pain in the rear as they never look at us. Of course, we aren’t crying for the attention nor we will be ecstatic that “at least outlook ” is looking at south. Being a “national” media they *must* look into south. In fact, I’d be terribly upset if they did not!
What Rajiv has raised is a simple question. When the local correspondents, who are ignoramus as far as the city is concerned, project an entirely different facet to the world about our city it is natural that people get piqued. For they know that it ain’t the truth. And all the “so called generalisations” Rajiv has made are true. If you are thick skulled not to take the truth for what it is..no one can help you.
The issue is clear and simple. Bangalore is more than IT and Biocon. When Outlook asks for the opinions at least get people who know what they are talking. Just talking to one or two for whom the city is confined to a very few places does not give a full picture.
@ pradeep
It’s not my desire to read Rajeev Rao’s mind for you. But since you can’t spot the connection, here it is. Issue one is the Outlook story which he thinks is schoolboy stuff. Issue two is the general media apathy towards all things Kannada and Karnataka—flawed pronunciations, priorities, etc. By using the first to illustrate the second, Rao confuses the two issues, because the Outlook story for all its faults doesn’t suffer from the latter.
Who’s denying that infrastructure hasn’t been touched by the Bangalore media? But journalism is about the big things. On that, there can be little doubt that the rags and advertising tipsheets of Bangalore have been happy to peddle piffle and PR, without holding the honchos to account on many of the glaring issues which Outlook has raised, now and in the past.
How much investigation has the Bangalore media—English, Kannada or any other language—done on the obscene land acquisition, which is now coming home to roost with rising property and rental rates? How much investigation has the Bangalore media done on the periodic and selective silence and noise of the IT heads on infrastructure? How much investigation has the Bangalore media done on the manner in which the Bangalore Agenda Task Force was used, abused and misused? Etcetera.
Whether you live in Rajajinagar or Nayandahalli, there are many questions for which Bangalore’s wondrous media hasn’t provided answers for. In fact, there are too many questions which Bangalore’s media is reluctant to approach. In fact, at a deeper level, with its silence, Bangalore’s media is as culpable for the sad state of the city as the IT industry.
The Bangalore media has been happily living in a bubble created by it, which is why the Outlook story seems so surprising. The media should certainly celebrate the IT success, it should salute the IT dons, and it should recognise the positive role IT has played. But it should not deliberately ignore the warts, which are many, because they will be denied access, ostracised, commercially harmed or because it will bring a bad name to Bangalore.
If you find the local media “a pain in the rear” because it doesn’t look beyond Indirangar, Mg Road etc, and the yet expect a national magazine to look south as a “must”, then you are defending the indefensible, my friend. Good luck to you if you don’t know who should repair your drains, your corporator or your member of parliament.
Excellent article by Rajeev Rao. Kannadigas have to pose these questions in all sorts of forums – formal and informal and never stop until the wrongs of not just the english media as pointed out by Rajeev but also in general of non-Kannadigas in Karnataka in general and Bengaluru in particular are set right. As the old adage goes, it’s high time Kannadigas realize that in most circumstances, one only needs to ask — and his/hers will be done. If we don’t ask to be treated right, we won’t be — by anybody.
Well said Atmasakshi. The issue then is not one of the English media and the whole world out there to kill Kannada as our friends suffering from an incurable victimhood syndrome have tried to argue here. Yes in the general failure of the media, it is not the English media or the Bangalore media alone which is the culprit. It is the same story all over the globe – differing only in degree.
Several people are baying for my blood (except Mr Ranganathan who at least had the Kannadiga courtesy of saadunge saadhu, and qualified his exhortation not to speak against KRV with a ‘please’) because I have equated the KRV factions headed by Narayana Gowda and Praveen Shetty. Thank you all for correcting my mistake and pointing out that they are not the same. But I still think that it is a shame for real Kannadigas that organisations like these are needed to remind Kannadigas their identity and protect Kannnada in its own land. That these organisations are needed speaks volumes about Kannnadigas own mindset and not about the threat posed by others. Take it from me thousands of Narayana Gowdas cannot protect Kannada unless the standards of Kannada schools improved, unless quality literature, cinema and journalism are produced in Kannada so that an average Kannadiga feels proud about his identity, and unless Kannadigas bother to speak to their children in their own language. People did not go to see Mungaaru Male because a Narayana Gowda stood there holding a Kannada flag or a flog, lakhs of people attended Ashwath’s programme on Palace Ground not because of the fear of Narayana Gowda or some such leader. Sapna and Ankita are making roaring business selling Kannnada books not because there is KRV billboards all over.
About Belgaum this is what the Hindu reported on November 24, 2005.
”The hold of the MES over the Marathi population in Belgaum is actually on the wane. There is hardly any prospect of the issue snowballing and leading to any kind of popular unrest in the region. All that the protagonists are doing now is to flog a dead horse.
There was a time when it was routinely winning five seats in the Legislative Assembly. Today it has just two — Khanapur (represented by Digambar Patil) and Uchhgaon (Manohar Kinekar). The MES legislators hardly participate in the proceedings of the House beyond ritually raising pro-merger slogans during the Governor’s address to the joint session.”
So, to claim that KRV released Belgaum from the iron fist of Marati leaders is too much. The process started much before someone blackened the face of the Mayor. It is a dangerous trend to paint a democratically elected mayor’s face black and strip him in public (I know Narayana Gowda did not do this but the other one)….I have seen several such incidents telecast live on tv subsequently in the name of KRV…
There is a vested interest in creating a fear psychosis among the unemployed and underemployed boys on the street that their language and culture are under threat. The boys do not realise that these netas send their own children to English medium schools. They pelt English boards with stones, theatres screening non-Kannada movies and so on. Threat to Kannada is a myth as long as every Kannadiga learns to love his own language and culture. No KRV can instill this love by force remember… It is not Tamil Rakshana Vedike which is forcing you to learn Tamil in Madras but the ordinary Tamilian who refuse to speak any other language than his own…So whom should KRV target the poor immigrant worker and industrialist or the people whom it is out to save?
By the way has anyone asked where is organisations like KRV getting their funds from?
Finally, in Udupi sahitya sammelana Dr D Veerendra Heggade and Seshagiri Rao have added their bit to the fear psychosis – Heggade says Kannada will die because Kannadigas send their children to English medium schools. He also says thats Kannadigas are worried more about employment prospects than their language. Naturally Dr Heggade! With due respect to you and the position you hold dear Dr Veerendra Heggade can I humbly ask you why did you send your only daughter Shraddha (now Mrs Shraddha Amit) to Anugraha English Medium School in Ujire even when your daughter did not have to hunt for a job after her studies given what she was going to inherit. Kindly stop adding fuel to the fire of fear psychosis from which great Kannada leaders have lit their ciggarettes from time to time. Instead kindly continue your efforts of instilling in the heart of average Kannadiga the love for his language and culture.
very accurate analysis by pavithra
but speech by L S SESHAGIRI RAO –sammelana adhyaksharu
on present state of affairs in karnataka, anti-kannada stance of central govt was thought provoking.
KANNADA CHALAVALI REQUIRES MODERATE VOICES AND KARNATAKA RAKSHANA VEDIKE .
hommiralu preethi, innelli bheeti
naadolave neethi, hidinenapa
manemanegalalli,manamanagalalli
hacchevu kannadada deepa——- D. S. KARKI
Nice Article,
There are many ways in which we can solve this!
1) First a Media dedicated for Kannada.
2) And people who support it!
And moreover its not writing an article about Kannada , should notice about this article. I will surely spread it to all my friends Group. And Thanks for the information about SWADES and PAHELI and moreover why cant the Kannada Directors publish this in a paper or in Doordarshan! TV9 ge idu kodi 2 days telecast maadtaare.. Nice way to get recognized ;).
@pavithra,
The situation might have got better for kannadigas in 2005 itself, but remember it is KRV and it’s active participation in belagavi and surrounding villages, that kannadigas left out their petty differences and fielded kannada candidates and won.
I salute many of your thoughts, sametime,, yaavude bhashe uLibeku andru alli churaadru kshtriya guNa beke beku. In Tamilnadu, the political parties of Tamilnadu are playing that role to implement tamil in toto. KArnataka’s politicians are utter waste and can’t protect the legitamate rights of kannada-karnataka-kannadiga and hence KRV has stepped in.
LAck of political willingness among our rulers and center’s apathy has made it worst for k’taka. Agree or not, KRV led by Narayan goudru is definately playing a major role in re-igniting the dead spirit in kanandigas.
Kuvempu heLidange “Sattantiharanu badidebbisu” KRV is doing that job.
Regarding Funds to KRV,, I am from Belagavi and I have seen how kannadigas have contributed funds to KRV. Every political party makes a bootie for party fund through illegal means. Atleast KRV is accepting funds from people and have kept neat IT records. One of my childhood friend works for KRV in belagavi and I know what pains they are taking to survive when it comes to finance..
Well i have been reading the comments/hate mails /sensible( like that of Pavitra’s) writings of various persons here.It pains me because i am a second generation Tamil origin citizen in Mumbai.I am middle aged and born and brought here and my father settled in Mumbai before 1940.Still i speak Tamil apart from reading and writing where as my children son and daughter can only speak.In spite of my efforts to teach them Tamil they had not shown any interest.But they are proud to be Tamils ( Tambrams)and watch Tamil movies and listen to Tamil music whenever they get an opportunity.Sivaji created a wave in mumbai and even Maharashtrians and Gujrathis watched it many times in Tamil apart from all the Southindians including Kannada,Tulu, Konkani people.Why did this happen.Nobody forced them-beacause they like good, entertaining movies.Infact Sivaji collected more money in the 1st 3 weeks in Mumbai than the blockbuster Hindi movie-Jhoom Barabar Jhoom.
The point i want to make to the local Kannada population in Bengalooru and Karnataka is pl do not hate anybody ,any language for it will reverberate on you.I have my close families in Bengalooru and i must have visited the city atleast 40 times, (2-3 days each time)and i never had any language problem.Initially in the 70’s i used to talk in Hindi to autos,shopkeepers and others but they will reply in Tamil if they know i am tamil! I used to admire their linguistic prowess! I have watched all my Tamil movies in Bengalooru than in Mumbai or Chennai.
Now suddenly in the last 10 years what has gone wrong? the reason according to me is , it is not the Tamils alone ,people from the North , Kerala and also from the south have migrated to Bengalooru in large numbers and a cosmo atmosphere is created.This naturally creates illfeeling about the locals as it happened in Mumbai in the 60’s.But today Mumbai is normal since everybody gets a job and happy.But the surprise here is why the Kannada people hate only Tamil for there exists centuries of coperation which existed between the 2 communities!the politicians have had a major rule in this.
Nopoint in comparing Chennai and Tamilnadu because contrary to what is said and done, there is absolutely no bar there in releasing non-Tamil movies but they do love their movies and songs.You may also do the same.In Mumbai in spite of the Marathi people being only 30 % of the population, the locals love their dramas,devotional songs but their movies are horrible.This is due the impact of Hindi movies and the local language just can not compete.To overcome this , every Kannada should promote their language movies and make non-kannada also see it.Don’t force but tempt them to see it like what happened to Sivaji in Mumbai!
I want comments from all in BENGALOORU and KARNATAKA and i wish to offer more comments on the subject later since i have travelled heavily all over the country and also move with all lingusiting groups.
thanks
ANY SUCCESFUL SOCIETY needs the right mix of all the four varnas – brahmana, kshatriya, vaishya and shudra. To belittle the roles and responsibilities of any of the four simply goes against the society’s own interests.
It is but naive to think that education reforms alone can solve all problems. As naive as it is to think education reforms cannot solve any problems. So much for brahmanas.
It is but naive to think that economic reforms alone can solve all problems. As naive as it is to think economic reforms cannot solve any problems. So much for vaishyas.
It is but naive to think that labour reforms alone can solve all problems. As naive as it is to think labour reforms cannot solve any problems. So much for shudras.
It is but naive to think that political reforms alone can solve all problems. As naive as it is to think political reforms cannot solve any problems. So much for kshatriyas.
It is high time Kannadigas start understanding the complementary roles played by the different varnas and start collaborating instead of pointing fingers at every varna other than one’s dominant one. So much for pavithras.
I am happy to see some concern on Kannada and Karnataka by the people on this form.
I wonder why people blame IT for the failure of up keeping Kannada culture. Well globalization has been wrongly interpreted by politician in our country; we can frame laws and receive the positive side of globalization. We can’t stay behind we need to accept the changes, however tradition and technological advancement must go hand in hand as other south Asian countries. So relating IT for the loss in Kannada is Unmetered thought.
Well being an Indian I want to say that the world identifies India by its different culture and languages, and we need to keep our culture and languages secured. Even India was divided according to languages to secure them, however they failed to key in the policies or laws for the immigrants from one state to another. To uphold the phrase ‘unity in diversity’ there is no need of one language all over the country but a state of mind to accept the local culture and respect the local language of the place you stay as an immigrant. As an immigrant his primary job must be to learn to be as the people around him/her, i.e. he should learn the local language and be part of them then being an alien. As far as you are away from local language and there culture you cannot understand the sentiments, objectives, primary issues of that soil. This is too dangerous for immigrants and the localities. How can you understand a person around you or understand what is going with him without knowing his culture and language. I don’t see this type of mind set in any young Indians (South Indian or North Indian). In Bangalore I have seen people who will be so educated; however in this issue they will be so immature. Well so the Government of Karnataka must bring a dual language system i.e. English and Kannada.
We see an auto living a lots of smoke behind, however he tie a Karnataka flag above, is this a respect given to our language and state, so people must stop supporting those people who use Kannada cause for rowdism, this is indeed the cause of some educated feel uncomfortable in talking in Kannada. I have seen people using Kannada cause for supporting there faults.
And people should stop relating Kannada with IT and take Positive side of IT (as no where in the world we get something which has only advantages). “desha Sutti nodu Kosha vodinodu” so stop being an frog in a well go around the places and learn the good once.
Last words for Hindi speaking people, please leave the imagination that Hindi is our national language and every one should speak in that language. Hindi is not our national language and its only official language at center with English. So stop putting pressure on South Indians to learn Hindi. This type of attitude will not lead to ‘unity in diversity’ .
Thank You
Srinivas Mitra
@ Atmasakshi
>>It’s not my desire to read Rajeev Rao’s mind for you. But since you can’t spot the connection, here it is. Issue one is the Outlook story which he thinks is schoolboy stuff. Issue two is the general media apathy towards all things Kannada and Karnataka—flawed pronunciations, priorities, etc. By using the first to illustrate the second, Rao confuses the two issues, because the Outlook story for all its faults doesn’t suffer from the latter.
>>
I did not ask you to read me what Rajeev’s mind is filled with. I asked you to tell me what’s in *your mind* when you claimed there are two issues since I did not find your comment stating the issues (or may be I did not get them..cause I ain’t no mind reader to peep into other’s mind to guess what their intentions are and what do they think).
Yes, Rajeev mentioned about outlook article being an project for an intern. But his issue was and is clear.
>>If there is one thing that Bengalooru and the rest of Karnataka hates, and I am sure I am not alone in this, it is the English (national) media’s carelessness, callousness and general indifference to all things involving our State. >>
Now re-read what he says. His post is not to comment on outlook’s article but to rather illustrate the general apathy of “English media” towards anything related to Karnataka or Kannada. If you think that he is bashing outlook for then heaven help you!
>>Who’s denying that infrastructure hasn’t been touched by the Bangalore media? But journalism is about the big things. >>
Oh wow!! Really! Now you criticize the Bangalore media for highlighting the infrastructure problems and not reporting about “big things”. Now what Rajeev has pointed out *are* the big things…want jargon? Culture, heritage, nostalgia, economic struggle, alienation blah blah! … Make up your mind as to what should the poor Bangalore media must report.
>>On that, there can be little doubt that the rags and advertising tipsheets of Bangalore have been happy to peddle piffle and PR, without holding the honchos to account on many of the glaring issues which Outlook has raised, now and in the past. >>
I am damn sure you haven’t read any Kannada newspaper. Although I don’t recall exact names, the issues which you think have been “peddled and piffled” have been quite highlighted in newspapers and magazines. “Sudha”, a kannada magazine had done an article about IT and it’s current perception by Bangaloreans an year ago. Oh, but how do you know..You keep looking at rags and advertising tipsheets to highlight “big issues”.
>>How much investigation has the Bangalore media—English, Kannada or any other language—done on the obscene land acquisition, which is now coming home to roost with rising property and rental rates? >>
Oh ..these are your big issues. Sorry to disappoint you, the issue of land acquisition was raised by Hai Bangalore (a kannada magazine). In fact, after this an article in outlook on Narayanamurthy’s infosys appeared!
>> How much investigation has the Bangalore media done on the periodic and selective silence and noise of the IT heads on infrastructure? How much investigation has the Bangalore media done on the manner in which the Bangalore Agenda Task Force was used, abused and misused? Etcetera. >>
You forgot to mention the underworld connection to real estate, assets of various officers in police department, and scams by political and religious heads so on and so forth. You went completely off-track on the topic. If you are confused what the topic is, re-read what Rajeev’s main grind against English media is!
>>Whether you live in Rajajinagar or Nayandahalli, there are many questions for which Bangalore’s wondrous media hasn’t provided answers for. In fact, there are too many questions which Bangalore’s media is reluctant to approach. In fact, at a deeper level, with its silence, Bangalore’s media is as culpable for the sad state of the city as the IT industry. >>
My My…I know it does not matter whether I live in Rajajinagar or Kurubarahalli. In fact, I now reside in chennai (for past 4.5 years). Here too the media does not cover anything on the infrastructure of Velachery (place close to IIT Madras). I don’t understand what your gripe is! You want the media to cover every nook and corner of the city?
>>Good luck to you if you don’t know who should repair your drains, your corporator or your member of parliament. >>
Pointless statement is what I term this! Is your gripe against the media for praising the IT and neglecting the apparent warts? If my memory serves right it is only the TOI that fits this bill. Take up any Kannada newspaper or magazine and you find all the issues you think are raised by outlook already reported.
>>If you find the local media “a pain in the rear” because it doesn’t look beyond Indirangar, Mg Road etc >>
Re-read what I said in my comment. I found not the local media a *pain the rear*, it is the “national media” that I accused the crime of. Guess it is difficult to argue with any one who is tremendously overjoyed that a “national media” raised such “important questions”. They don’t like to read the local media which has always stood up to the local issues.
Get a Kannada paper to read..everyday!
@ dr ramesh
Err..what do you want to say?
a. Accurate analysis — so you agree with pavitra that KRV shouldn’t exist to remind us about the culture and language?
b. Require moderate voice — define moderate please!
c. KRV needed — sutti balasi alle bandri.
Yenu nimma vicharadhaare? swantike beleskoli swamy!
@ pavitra,
We Kannadiga’s don’t “bay for blood”. If you think anyone disagreeing with your opinion as a murderer you are being ridiculous! (Now don’t tell me that you threw in the phrase as a metaphor…I am pointing towards your intention of not taking an alternative viewpoint).
>>The issue then is not one of the English media and the whole world out there to kill Kannada as our friends suffering from an incurable victimhood syndrome have tried to argue here. >>
Geez…no one ever is suffering from victimhood syndrome. To put the matters correctly it is you and your friend Atmasakshi who are suffering from “pseudo intellectual syndrome” by becoming overjoyed that a magazine covered big and important issues!
I can’t make out any connection with KRV and the issues raised here. Especially not about the “source of funds” and Belagaavi incident! If you wanna talk, stick to the point.
The point is that English media offers a selective and biased view of any issue related to Karnataka and Kannada. And we are not cribbing about it. We are stating it categorically and as a matter of fact. Too bad that facts sound as crying to you!
OK my mistake!
@ pavitra
I missed your first comment. hence I asked you the connection between KRV and this post. I am Sorry.
@pavitra
>> I am also a Kannadiga as much as Rajiv Rao is but he is making mountain of a mole because: >>
I too am a Kannadiga (just in case you don’t find me “breast beating, 100 pc”). Good to know that you too are the same!
2) “so why blame some north Indian friends for small mistakes in pronunciation such as Dev Gouda. ”
Dear, no one will blame “some north indian”. If that some north indian happens to be a reporter we surely want him to pronounce properly. For all, Deve Gowda was PM of this country!
3) >> English dailies in Karnataka cannot find enough Kannadigas with enough local knowledge to work for them…so they employ those who do not. because the brighter Kannadigas have gone in search of greener pastures in IT, Banking….and so on >>
What an original piece of research! Do you have any facts to support this statement of your’s? And if you are naive to think that employment these days happens only on merit I must pity you. Ask any of your IT friends as to how fresher’s recruitment’s are being done.
Even if they recruit non-local talents for jobs they should at the least educate them about basics of our state.
>> 4) And about your charge that English dailies in Karnataka do not give enough publicity to Kannada movies when compared to Sivaji…. i cannot accept this. >>
It is immaterial whether you agree or disagree. The fact was that. Come over here in Chennai and show me one newspaper article that discusses other language cinema! And the english media was busy promoting Sivaji. The same thing had happened a few years ago with a movie called “Boys”. But then, we should blame ourselves. Majority of the people who watched the tamil Sivaji would be Kannadiga’s!
>>The somewhat equivalent of Rajanikanth in Kannada movie world had got more than enough publicity in the Bangalore-based English media as long as he was alive, deserved or undeserved… >>
Now now..this is a problem with us. We both know whom you are referring to :D. But no need to take pot shots at a deceased person. And a dumb head who has no knowledge of why the movies of the person who was alive were important in integrating our state during the formative years can seldom understand the significance! (if you need, read about a movie called “Ranadheera Kanteerava”).
>> 6) You said it right…it is the misfortune of Kannadigas that they have to accept journalists like Ravi Belagere (yellow) and Vishweshwara Bhat (saffron) as the leading lights in the field… >>
If you can write a single piece of analysis on any topic that is as authoritative as Vishweshwara Bhat I will agree to your point. And don’t confuse yourself between the ideologue and the writing ability. In that case we may also add, Vinod mehta (sonia sycophant), NDTV (leftist), CNN-IBN(anti BJP), and so on.
>> Fortunately, you have not added the name of Praveen Shetty and Narayan Gowda as saviours of Kannada. what else explains Kannadigas misfortune more than this…. >>
How much do you know about VataL Nagaraj and Narayana Gowda? VataL used to stand in front of theatres and request people to watch Kannada movies. Typing on a computer is easy. Just do an iota of what these two have accomplished and let’s talk. Moreover, they did it when there was no media coverage and radio FM.
>> 7) A simple story-line that even a primary school student can write. It is not impossible that two people in this country of one billion to hit upon this story idea… >>
Yes it is possible. In my research it is usual that I get scooped. But then I give credit. I don’t claim “written by ashutosh gowarikar”. It’s called giving credit where it is due!
>> By the way how could none of more than 100 pc kannadigas who left their comments here forgot to mention that Chigurida Kanasu was based on Shivaram Karanth’s novel by the same name…. >>
Thanks for pointing it out. As though we did not know! Just a question? Have you read the novel ?
>> (by the way thank god you have not included Anil Kumble also as a immigrant Kannadiga for his ancestors are from Kumble, which is now part of Kerala thanks to the weak spine of we Kannadigas) >>
by the other way, thank dog that you have not said that you are an immigrant from Africa as all your ancestors were born there first (including mine too). Oh for the immigration record, Sir MV had his roots in Andhra….. it was so loooong ago that they don’t even remember.
Aah..another fact. Only Anil Kumble’s mom is from Kerala.
>> 10) Let us grow up from our parochial, narrow visions first…if we excel English media will be forced to recognise us. >>
Please will you come out of your own narrow and jaundiced view point that all those who try to raise issues about Kannada are narrow and parochial not to mention regional and blah blah. This is a first step in that.
>> Let us make our own people take some pride in our language and culture and then blame others for not giving us publicity… >>
Apply to yourself. A person who started a newspaper and managed it successfully you belittle him. Believe it or not, if not for VK the Kannada newspapers would not have found resurgence in their readership.
>>Let us learn to stop accepting extortionists as leaders of Kannada activism….. >>
Completely agree. BTW, did these “terrorist extortionists” ever threatened you for money ??
Some questions
a. Do you read Kannada newspaper/magazine?
b. Do you do your bit to promote Kannada in your workplace?
c. Do you educate ignorants who make fun of Kannada/Karnartaka ?
d. Do you take pride in being a Kannadiga?
If your answers are not on the affirmative then we need more Narayana Gowda’s and KRV.
I am not from karnataka and neither in support of your argument. People here are not hating English only they hates all except themselves. I understand people speaking English are not able to spell anything correctly, but if you will go through all national Hindi books you will find “karnatak” not “karnataka” and you can check all the words which you are saying are not being spelled correctly.
I am staying in Bangalore since last one year and I felt all hate type of things in eyes of local people here fro me.
This is not a story of long time back, we have shifted our room to a new location just a few week back and Yesterday more than 10 local people came with guns and knives to our house at around 11:00 PM in night and was threatening us for all the things. We should not wear this, We should not walk on terrace, We should learn kannadda, bla bla bla…..
This shows all the things. How cultural you are and how much respect you have for others.
While going back home I always feel feared that what will be condition of my home. And this environment is not created by me, its by you people.
I have seen local people abusing Hindi speaking persons always and complaining because of we from other state their culture value is going down.. I don’t understand the meaning of this term “our culture is dipping deep because of we from other state”..
Are your culture so week that anyone from outside will come and gives disrespect to your culture.
I love my culture and I respect my culture. Many person from this side visit my place, but I haven’t complained ever that these outsider are disrespecting my culture or something…
The problem with people here is they don’t want to understand where the world is. Their behavior with me till now have created only hates for them in my heart not any other thing.
Wishing that for the time I am in Bangalore I will have a peaceful stay.
Well after going through all the posts, i would really appreciate Pavitra on what she has put across in the whole thread. Let me ask all of you out here one question….why should we be afraid, when someone says that our language is fading out…I speak to my kids in kannada and also take them out for kannada movies..How many of you do that ?? . Most of my colleagues in my office speak to there kids in English..they just do not want to speak in kannada…Who do we blame this on….OUTSIDERS ?? . I have send my kids to a good english medium school, just because i know that my kids are not going to do good in their future life if i send them to a kannada medium school. Let me get one point clear out here…All of us would want to see our kids doing well in the future and for that quality education is required and for that an English medium school is reqd. Even tamilian, mallus and even n.Indians send there children to english medium schools.
Coming down to why IT Companies are hiring outsiders..the only reason is they need talented people…at the end they are here for business and they need to make profit..If a kannadiga has the ability he will make it..lets face the fact…i made it so why can’t another kannadiga with the same potential not make it…When these comapanies can’t find enough talent in our own state, they go to other states looking for talents, and that’s how outsiders come in…who do we blame this on ?? OUTSIDERS !! . Lets get one thing clear, indian can mover freely to any state withing india w/o anyones permission..i can, you can and so can the N.Indians too……
Thirdly why blame some radio station for playing hindi songs….Hindi songs are real sweet, good to hear and is recoconized world wide…that’s why they are played in all radio stations…We should also appreciate them that they play kannada songs….
In the end all i can say is that we got no right to tell any indian to move out of Karnataka. ( i hear that a lot from fellow kannadigas). What would bangalore be without a mix and match of other people…Another BIHAR….?? I doubt if any fellow kannadiga would ever want to change our state to another non developed state ….
Pavithra and people like her have a distorted view of anything related to Kannada. It is a fashion for such people to ridicule Kannada organisations, Kannada movies, actors (here she is referring to Dr.Rajkumar) all in the name of broadmindedness. We have to blame such “Kannadigas” more than non Kannadigas for the present situation.
I feel our Kannadigas are also resposible. Come to HSR layout. There, everone from the garbage collector to the gas delivery man think you are a Hindiwala and try to speak in Hindi to you. For them, it is as if the whole area is filled with only Hindi people. When we ourself are ashamed to speak in our language, the language of this land, how will the outsiders learn?
The article rightly highlights the media’s biased views. For English papers, Kannadigas are just Narayan Murthy, Girish Karnad, Anil Kumble, and sometimes, Ananthamurthy. When TOI has ads that represent Kannadigas, who does it display? Narayan Murthy, Deepika Padukone, Aishwarya Rai – all such people who either have contempt for Kannada, or don’t know whether a language like Kannada exists or not. In todays Indian Express(14 Dec) City Express, there is a big article about ‘Billa’ a Tamil movie. It is not an advertisement, but a regular news item. I don’t remember any such articles about Kannada movies. It is highly regrettable that a paper like Deccan Herald is trying to ape Times of India, a third rate newspaper. Nowadays, more space is allocated for non Kannada movies and cultural activities in DH.
Regarding Times, less said the better. Don’t know why they named their supplement as ‘Bangalore Times’ 99%, sometimes, 100% of the sheets are Bollywood and Tamil-Telugu related.
The problem with these media and so-called cosmopolitan citizens like Pavitra is that they think views like these – mine, and all others in this blog – are narrow minded, chauvinistic, out of context in today’s modern world etc.
Yes, its is shame, all english newspaper editors in B’lore are either mallus, tams or northindian imports so how do u expect them to have a kannada identity. And we all knw what happend to the fate of the only kannadiga who was at helm of an english newspaper a few months back.
times have changed. inspite of best attempts by english media to promote hindi and non-kannada movies in bengaluru, today more than 50 theatres in the city screen kannada movies. just 5 years back it was difficult to find kannada movies in more than 20 theatres.
boom time for kannada movies.
more than 150 movies are under production ,100% rise yoy .
mugaru male ran for more than a year in PVR an all india record for a multiplex.
PYRAMID SAIMIRA,ADLABS and othey media companies are making beeline to kannada film industry.
@ Nagaraj
So you’ve come out with your Vishwamanavatva garb. Won’t take you nowhere, dude! Your ignorance is showing in between the threads.
Read answers to some of your questions here:
1. There’s no need to be afraid when someone says our language is fading out since the fact is that it is not fading out. If anything, it’s boom time for Kannada as pointed out by dr ramesh.
2. Your observation that your colleages talk to their children in English is to be appreciated in the spirit of social reform. However, the linking of this to “OUTSIDERS” is an invention of your mind which seems to be confused between the moods of advertisement (of your talking to your child in Kannada) and over-generalzation (of the true problem of “OUTSIDERS”).
3. On IT companies hiring “OUTSIDERS” for talent. Ha ha! My friend, you will be alarmed at the talents of these OUTSIDERS in places where talents are actually required, as well as at the vested interests behind the loud proclamations of talent requirements of those OUTSIDER-heavy nepotism-tainted companies to whom you’re referring!
4. Sure, all Indians (N-Indians included) have the right to move around anywhere in India. But the Indian constitution, even after the latest amendment, does not grant the liberty to screw around anywhere in India. The utter disregard of anything local is such a malignant tumor in the heads of migrants that their behaviour is by and large unconstitutional screwing around. Funnily, it is a Kannadiga who goes by the book!
5. Your sweetness argument relating to Hindi songs is parrot-speak. You’re programmed to think so because of rampant Hindi imposition on Kannadigas. I have the urge to say Kannada songs are sweeter, but I’m going to resist it. I will only say that there is no language which is sweeter than another. In sweetness, languages are alike. However, in ones-own-ness, Kannadiga scores number one for all Kannadigas. So stick to your language, oh fool on the look out for sweetness while living in the state of Mandya!
6. Nobody has the constitutional right to ask anybody to leave Karnataka. But every Kannadiga has the constitutional right to speak and use Kannada and Kannada alone in all his transactions in Karnataka. Excercising this right suffices.
7. It’s but limited global experience because of which you can only state the example of Bihar when it comes to states where only the native language is spoken. Fool, go around the globe a little bit (even the WWW should suffice) and read about countries such as Germany, Italy, France, The Netherlands, Denmark, Greece, Austria, Japan, Israel, why, even England!
Good dr. Ramesh. But Why Bangalore hates English Media Culture???!!!
and you have more reasons to shag. Rajkumar’s three sons are coming together in one film.
few months back if other lang movies were doing well, that’s because Kannada movies used to be SHIT, full of violence and PJs. It’s good to see great improvement. but Ganesh (Mungarumale fame) etc are going to be couple of movies wonder. Next Galipatta, then what? Kadlekai, Mannumasi and then gone with the wind. Talent is yet to emerge. Saw Mungaru Male posters in Cochin and Chennai too. It was a great Marketing gimmick because the theatre were empty for the one week it ran. If it did well in PVR, it’s great. Only time will tell if 150 movies despite tax rebates will stand out or not.
But when are Kannadigas going to have their own TV Channel and Multiplex? before Reliance takes over the state!
All these Ramesh Gowda, dr.Ramesh clan are going to be e paper tigers. Karnataka is suffering due to its laid back attitude. Now all of a sudden we’ve woken up and see the world around us changed. it’s never too late. But these paper tigers will not make any difference.
@ Prakash,
Please explain how Karnataka’s laid back attitude and my paper-tigerness (which is no proof for off-paper non-tigerness) are related. Please also explain how your being a paper lamb (which is no proof for off-paper tigerness) is helping Karnataka get over its laid back attitude.
There is no denying, however, that Karnataka’s laid back attitude is bad for its health.
@ quicky
Your observations are correct. Agreed, Kannada movies didn’t fit the bill until some time. Agreed there may be quality issues after some recent success. Agreed Kannadigas may not come out with TV channels before “Reliance takes over the state”.
Let me also grant that the English media may be right in neglecting Kannada entertainment industry. But does that warrant the neglect of the myriad other things life consists of? How about floods in north Karnataka? How about the daylight robbery of our river waters? Well, yeah, you know what? How about everything Rajeev Rao (remember?) has cribbed about? They don’t have much to do with entertainment, do they?
And coming back to the entertainment industry, if you had any thick blood, would you lie down taking the neglect and persistent taunting / instigation by migrants? Would you take it lying down?
Would you add salt to the fire and yourself exclaim “My language, my people, my land is a damned desert of non-achievement” Or would you say “Okay we’re at a low ebb now, and we’re getting better by doing X, Y, Z”? It takes a little bit of slavish attitude to do the former and a little bit of self-respect to do the latter.
You decide.
You too, Prakash.
quicky,this is for u.
KUMARANNA HAS TAKEN THE INITIATIVE—- HE OWNS KASTURI CHANNEL. 1ST KANNADIGA OWNED CHANNEL.
there is confirmed news that ROCKLINE VENKATESH — a well known kannada film producer is coming up with a multiplex.
kalpana theatre is being converted into a multiplexs by well known producer.only for kannada movies.
ITS GREAT THAT SHIVARAJKUMAR,RAGHANNA ,APPU –ARE ACTING TOGETHER– POWER FULL THROTTLE and icing on the cake UPENDRA is directing.
sandalwood rocks.
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh drrr.Ramesh,
Do you watch Kasturi. It is a private channel. for Gowda family only. where else to put mine money (MINE or mine!!)
Wait and see how Reliance takes over Rocklines. There is a goldmine out there to renovate and sell to Adlabs.
Minority reservation may be abolished by 2050. but tax rebates for Kannada movies will stay for another 100 years.
@RG, our national channels have huge N Indian viewership and as fillers they will always show Snake Syam catching Cobra and Cauvery flowing reverse. They are not national channels though. But news channels like CNN IBN do focus on S Indian states. My point was how long we’ll look forward to Star and Sun?
QUALITY SELLS. IT DOESN’T NEED SUBSIDIES. WORD OF MOUTH IS ENOUGH.
May Kannada movies come out of its slumber.
I wonder how many serials would have Radhika as protagonist on the new channel !
@Kanchan
Yes Kanchan I am not surprised. Sadly, that is the emerging Kannada culture and a slice of it was evident at Udupi Kannada Sahitya Sammelana too…Will not have to wait for too long for the next episode what with the ideological and intellectual support to the resurgent culture pouring out like this……
@ Kanchan: you are right about hatred breeding more hatred. It is really disturbing to note how unsafe this place has become, with atrocities being commited in the name of culture and language! It is also surprising that there are so few voices coming up to reassure or support you.
I also hope you have a safe stay while you are here and appreciate you for your effort in highlighting this issue in this forum.
I am a Kannadiga.. Surprised you Pradeep and his ilk seem to be accepting that Tamil parochialism is their role model. God save Kannada. At least fans of movie stars in Tamil Nadu immolate themselves at worst but in Karnataka their equivalents under similar circumstances go on destroying public property, killing poor police constables and then slashing the tongues of those who could not play a particular song. You do not know the kind of monsters you are encouraging in the name of saving Kannada. They will soon go out of your control and make every true Kannadiga hang his head shame. It has begun in Udupi. Where will it end? Someone mentioned Vatal Nagaraj? Please do not equate him with the rest – his agitations, at least the visible aspects of them, never crossed the limits of civilised behaviour, decency and democratic norms. They had enough comic and entertainment as their by-product….
One thing what I note in all these comments is, it is Kannadigas themselves who are responsible for the sad state. Looking at some comments, with “Kannadigas” like these, no need for outsiders to destroy the Kannada culture. It is a fashion for them to proclaim that Kannada papers are bad, talk cheaply about Kannada activists, humiliate Kannada actors, claim that Kannada movies are bad, Kannadigas are lazy, spineless etc. They can tolerate any trashy Tamil, Hindi movies and actors, no problem in that.
And Kanchan, you talk about violence. I can give examples how badly north Indians also behave here. I am not supporting violence in the name of language, but before pointing fingers at us (this includes her supporter, Pavithra also), think why this is happening. It is not that has happened overnight.
Problem is, we easily accept chauvinism of Tamils, Malayalis, Hindi speaking people, but the moment somebody says Kannada, everybody, moreso the so-called cosmo citizens start breast beating that Kannadigas are parochial, have hatred for others, narrow minded and what not.
hi kanchan,
I am staying in Bangalore since last one year and I felt all hate type of things in eyes of local people here fro me.
This is not a story of long time back, we have shifted our room to a new location just a few week back and Yesterday more than 10 local people came with guns and knives to our house at around 11:00 PM in night and was threatening us for all the things. We should not wear this, We should not walk on terrace, We should learn kannadda, bla bla bla…..
This shows all the things. How cultural you are and how much respect you have for others.
Come on kanchan don’t teach us how to respect other’s please…. I have been staying in bangalore for the past 2 year’s now and as I’m working in IT industry I have many friend’s from other’s states working with me.They all are staying in bangalore for more than one year now but none of them even know a word of kannada(for ur kindest information it’s kannada not kannadda, don’t say that I’m trying to teach you something ) and I have never asked them to learn kannada it’s left to them to learn or not to learn, as usual they have never tried to learn a word.
I used to stay in Rajajinagar (near shivanhalli), opposite to our room three girls used to stay. they used to go for walk around night 1pm and they used to sit smoking(night time) on terrace, as per my knowledge none of the locals ever complainted about them…..none of the locals went to their room taking guns and knives.
One more thing I have too ask you, Think that I was staying in your native state or place,would I been able to stay in your native state without learning your language or culture. Have you ever tried to learn kannada(kannadda), I bet you have never tried to do so or have you tried to know the local people’s culture. anyways there is no need to for you learn also( please don’t try also).
While going back home I always feel feared that what will be condition of my home. And this environment is not created by me, its by you people.
Please don’t joke…..
I have seen local people abusing Hindi speaking persons always and complaining because of we from other state their culture value is going down.. I don’t understand the meaning of this term “our culture is dipping deep because of we from other state”..
Are your culture so week that anyone from outside will come and gives disrespect to your culture.
Neither is our culture nor are we weak to disrespect your culture,but you may be weak to think that we disrespect anyone’s culture in karnakata.
I love my culture and I respect my culture. Many person from this side visit my place, but I haven’t complained ever that these outsider are disrespecting my culture or something…
The problem with people here is they don’t want to understand where the world is. Their behavior with me till now have created only hates for them in my heart not any other thing.
I know everyone loves their culture and they want their culture to be superior to other’s.I don’t say everyone is perfect some people may have misbehaved with you…..but too the extend you are saying is what I object to.
pavithra and smita you both are just great…….keep it up………
kanchan please reply……
@Kanchan, YOU WERE KIDDIN RIGHT?!
@dr.Ramesh: see the last para and fight it out! Keep out of this website with your fangs and target Reddy!!
JANARDHAN REDDY TO LAUNCH RS. 20,000 CR. STEEL PLANT
Bangalore, Dec. 17 (KCU)- MLC Janardhan Reddy, after excelling in the field of mining, is believed to have decided to open an Iron and Steel Industry. Reddy has disclosed that the proposed industry would come up at Cuddapah District in Andhra Pradesh at a cost of about Rs. 20,000 crore.
Speaking at the Convention of the Reddy Community held in Byatarayanapura near here yesterday, he said that the industry would be named after his daughter Bramani. AP Chief Minister Y.S. Rajashekar Reddy had already sanctioned the required land for the industry. The construction work would start soon. About 4000 employees would be recruited in the first two years. The project envisages employing 25,000 people in the next 10 years, explained Reddy.
He made it clear that the Reddy community would be given due prominence in the recruitment. The youth of the community including engineering graduates looking for a job may seek employment in the industry, said Reddy.
@Kannadappa Bendakaloorappa
Swalpa sariyagi kannu bittu nodappa. If you have gathered from my post that I am going the tamilian ways I can only say that you’ve gotten a wrong impression of my reply.
When you have refute something you gotta do it with FACTS. Saying that you were surprised or something will not lend any credibility to your reply (which as it stands has no credibility whatsoever).
>>equivalents under similar circumstances go on destroying public property, killing poor police constables and then slashing the tongues of those who could not play a particular song >>
I can only laugh at your statement. While I don’t deny that there were riots (which we all condemn) there is no proof that it was done by “we fans”. Let the investigation prove that it was an act of fans and I’ll be the first in line to demand that they have to be punished severely.
It was I who mentioned VataL. But again you completely inverted my message. More importantly it is you who by calling VataL’s protests as comic (by product or whatever they might be) diluting his contributions.
@pavithra
You fled without answering any questions I raised and now back in the field making comments summarily chastising “Kannada culture”. Pray tell me what the h*** you know about our culture? Nalige ide anta matadodu, keyboard ide anta type madodu alla. If you start with negative attitude towards everything associated with Kannada you will of course encounter people who will be equally negative to you.
@Smita and @Kanchan
Latter: please learn how to frame sentences that are readable. Your rant was not only childish but looked like it was written by a fourth grade student.
Both: I hope you just are aware of your own contribution to beget hate! Remember only hate begets hate.
Dear rajeev,
Appreciate your article very much…mainly for the issues that you collated that point out to the skewed outlook of the english media towards kannada/ karnataka.
The point that i really appreciated was when you mentioned about the percentage of people who are not kannadiga by birth but kannadiga by language ie people who are excellent reading/ writing kannada…the english media always has figures like kannada population is 35% only easily forgetting the huge percentage of people who converse and write/read kannada.
God save us and very soon!
Don’t worry- americans hate india more than you could ever hate them- mainly for taking our jobs and ruining our economy.That may be the core reason why they dont give a flying crap about giving u respect.
@Anil,
Might be the scenario or the place you are living in is different.
I haven’t asked anybody how he is feeling here in Bangalore before writing whatever I have written above. Lots of my friend in my office are Kannadiga’s and I have good relationship with them. If you are thinking that the story of all the locals coming to my room with guns and knives is only a joke, then I cannot convince you to believe it.
I am not here to teach anyone what to do and how to do and specially about respecting me or me like guys.. :):)
I don’t have any more things to say about my comments.
I wanted to sorry to those guys who really got hurt with my comments. My intension was not to create any tense environment.
I love you and your culture, but I don’t want any one having a wish to change my lifestyle and thats why I have written all these.
@quicky
Seriously I am not kidding.
@Pradeep Kumar,
Its great that you are master in English, but sorry to say I am not like you. :)
Just trying to learn to make better communication with you like guys.
I would like to give you one suggestion, Please don’t read those things on net which are not framed properly by me like guys.
@kanchan
we have no issues with your command over english. You have accepted that you are learning; fair enough, but it really would warm the cockles of our hearts if you put the same effort in learning kannada and assimilating their values while you are here. Go in peace.
@Kanchan,
Earn when you sit at home. Free…free… just learn a word in Kannada. Call Vitlan Potli and tell that word you learn. You get Re.1 per word. It is a small sum to warm the cockles of his heart!!!!!!!!!
Yup why not since quicky is adamant on providing me the money :)
@quicky call me I will let you know where to transfer the money
Ma not adamant! It’s an idea. Go ahead. I dont charge for ideas!
Shimoga big cats kill visitor in Assam zoo
From Anirban Bhaumik, DH News Service, Guwahati:
Divya and Govardhana, the big cat couple of Guwahati zoo, on Wednesday attacked and wounded Bezbaruah when the 50-year-old resident of Jorhat slipped his hand-held camera into the tigers’ enclosure to take a close-up shot…
You Kannadiga Tigers!!!!
I Read all the above but one thing I am not clear is when you have mentioned why Bangalore hates English
1: Why haven’t you published this in Kannada?
2: If you think IT has spoilt .The concept of Blog is also because of IT you forgot it.
@pavithra
Nice article.I think we are not thinking of what should be done to overcome
all these things.I saw people of different opinion talking
about this article.especially miss pavithra!
This means there is no unity in people of Karnataka.
so i have few tips to pavithra,
miss pavithra i think ur still an child to talk about all these things.so please keep quite and just keep reading kannada inspiring article.u think ur broad minded.
I think u have not come across the irritating moments.Oh sorry u wont come across because ur not at all thinking as kannadiga
So what i say is u please see things and judge as kannadiga
then u will come to know what does this article mean
so this to u
kannadave sathya ,kannadave nithya.
@ Varsha
If two kannadigas have two different view about a particular subject how can you say that all kannadigas are not united ??
Secondly i love kannada and i love my Karnataka. I am proud of kannada and i do not need to prove it to anyone.
Thirdly crime rate is increasing day by day in b’lore because many politicians are supporting the uneducated youths of karnataka for their own benefit. These youths get involved in fight and other crimes activites and if we people start supporting them just for the sake that these guys ransack radio stations because they played some hindi songs, then we folks would not be doing any justice to them.. THINK abt it !!
I think Outlook story and rajeev’s article are two different issues altogether.
Both are debatable.
I personally feel that both point to true facts to a great extent..
Narrow minded, journalism of hate. That is all that this article is.
Continuing on my diatribe against the-paper-read-by-half-a-dozen-people-outside-Basavanagudi (also known as Deccan Herald).
Yesterday (23-Dec-2007) in the Sunday supplement, it had an “enlightening” feature on Laila, a Tamil actress who has acted in a dozen movies, and her “impending” marriage. It was not only totally irrelevant in terms of DH readership, it was also TOTALLY OUTDATED. Laila got married in Jan 2006 (ALMOST TWO YEARS BACK !!).
@Hindustan Times/Deccan Chronicle, Please take over this paper !!!
@Employees of DH, Is anybody reading this??
@Goldstar..
Seriously!!!!
My god… why is that stupid DH allowed to even publish newspaper..
The paper needs to be kicked out of Karnataka….oops..Basavanagudi :)
After reading so many responses, I couldn’t stop myself.
Its a wonderful article which triggered thought process though not provokating!
I feel Bangalore Kannadigas are more used to English & Hindi and tendancy to adjust quickly to outsiders, whereas non-Bangalore Kannadigas are less exposed to English & Hindi and to some extent want to use Kannada (not becoz they don’t know English & Hindi, but thats the tendancy).
Unless we love & care our language, we can’t see it is respected by anyone. I have seen Kannadigas who try to pretend as if they are non-Kannadigas or they don’t know about Kannada movies, nongs or stars etc. We should come out of this.
with all the intellectual blabber in the air, i’m surprised that no one has attributed the scant coverage of kannada/karnataka-related issues to market forces — most of the english media are owned by private companies who need to meet their bottomlines. if they perceive these issues to be less relevant to their readers, as i’m sure they do, then, they will not give it as much space as kannada enthusiasts would have you believe they should. if you don’t like it, vote with your rupee. convince your friends/family to do the same, and have them all write to the editor stating so. if this truly is a popular opinion, then the media would be forced to rethink their coverage. if it isn’t, or if people continue to be as apathetic as they are, then the message doesn’t get across and the situation will likely continue unchanged.
however, trying to attribute this lack of interest by the mainstream english media to the IT industry is asinine. we don’t live in a (pseudo) socialist economy anymore. if you, as a “200%” kannadiga, truly believe that there exists a market for english-language kannada/karnataka-related coverage then put your money where your mouth is, start your own media company and start raking in the moolah. blogging about it certainly won’t make as much an impact as monetary considerations.
Harping on the mispellings of “Kannad” and “Karnatak” which is constant source of irritation to me, here’s a link to a website for mapsofindia.com which adds fuel to my fire of irritation!
http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/india/india-political-map.htm
Thankfully, they didn’t spell the state as “Karnatak”!!
I wrote to those dodos on a couple of times but do you think those brickheads would anything about it? I wish I could hack in to their website and correct it.
@rajeev rao………
SUPER ARTICLE GURU………… couldnt agree more….. spot on! BULLS EYE! u have hit the nail… very nicely written…
Rightly Said.
All the above arguments are valid. We Kannadigas accept everything forced upon us.
Raveesh Kumar
ಸರಿಯಾಗಿ ಬರೆದಿದ್ದೀರ. ಔಟ್ ಲುಕ್ ನ ಆ ಲೇಖನ ಓದಿದಾಗ ನನಗೂ ಹೀಗೇ ಅನ್ನಿಸಿತು…
Bengaloorinalli, nanage thilida matige sumaru 5 rinda 8 english journalism offer maduva college ede–Nanu elli masters course na bagge mathaduthilla, bachelors mathra. Christ, kristu jayanthi, garden city, surana, jyothi nivas, mount carmel, and St.Joseph avugalalli pramukhavu (nana aniseke prakara eshte college erodu). Modala 3 college galu kerala mooladavaru stapisidhu, nalkaneyadu “marwar”du, hagu mikiruva 2 college enyavudo moola davaradu (st.joseph mangaloorenadu).
Ee 7 collegenallu minrorityge, adaralu bashabhimanadinda kerala davaru malayaligallige, jainaru jainerige pramukyathe (2) Shreemantharige nanthara, yava basheyadaru parvagilla (3) athyantha bhudivantarige, yava rajyadavaradaru parvagillai….Evelladara karana karnataka davara sanke kadime.
Ashcharyavagi ee kadime sankeya kannadigarige eradu korathe: ondu athyantha shreemantha kutumbadavragiruvudu; erado kannada arrivelanthe belsiruva parinama, avaru nam baayalli hallirada kadale anthe!
Haagagi, English journalismnalli horagnivarade mellugaiyi. Edarinda karnatakada english paper nalli namma culture thiliyada hora rajyada english pathrakartharu jasthi. Avaru thamma rajyada thindiyanne “bengalooru times” nalli bengaloorena thindi endu coverage kottibiduthare.
Evarelllaru city mooladavaradudarinda, namma second tier cities (mysore hubli, dharwad & mangalooru–evaru mumbaige hogibiduva reordllavaru) navaru english papernalli serallu swalpa jasthi kashta padabeku.
Summary:
1. Kannadigarige ee autonomous collegenalli ondu rithiya quota erabeku. Nenapedi, evella collegegalu barathadalle athyantha prabhavi collegenalli ondu.
2. Bachelors parinamakariyada dinagalu hagu varshagalu, hagagi specialization elli athyantha important.
3. Janaru baari high-paying IT kelsadinda swalpa thale eethi nodabeku!
U r 100 % right. It’s a well-written post……..
I am a telugu but i felt very bad seeing the state of kannada language in bengaluru now-a-days.I travelled to Bengaluru earlier in 2000 seeing the sign boards in kannada,hindi,english i felt Kannada people are very good they are maintaining & preserving our culture.But seeing begaluru in 2008 its very bad we can hardly hear kannada language anywhere.
Its because of the migrants.and if we speak anything about our non-hindi mother tongue people are comparing us with Raj thackeray.I think these craving western culture english news channels and the migrants and central government are all contributing to kill non hindi languag people in our own lands..just the reason is we had developed our states better than hindi states and this is the mistake we had done so we have to see this mass migrants for the search of better lives and jobs.
Great Article………bangloreans are getting irritated with the alien invasion. Also Govt. should take some measures for this.
Having been born and brought up in Bangalore and not a kannadiga, i have the following observations based on my own experience
1. They keep insisting that you learn kannada but if you do so, they do not even bother to treat you with respect
2. Many kannadigas do not know their mother tongue – Kannada, in it’s beautiful form. They speak pathetic kannada
3. The Kannadigas are lagging behind the tamilians and malayalee and teluguites and all by atleast 200 years in intelligence and achievements
NOT more than one or two NOTE-WORTHY scientists, sports people, musicians, etc
They have no experience in staying in other states and obviously their tolereance levels are abysmally low.
I have seen even elders from karnataka get nervous and scared and paranoid while in other states and desperate to return to karnataka as soon as possible.
4. They are too too too too very LAZY
They love to eat avrekalu uppittu, farty smelly gas, listen to rajkumar songs and sleep all the time.
5. JEALOUSY is their speciality. NO BODY can beat the kannadiga in Jealousy.
6. They are not soft as is projected. Any body born and brought up in Bangalore can tell hou the Truth that they are dangerous characters hidden behind soft persona
They show softness since they know that with their surface level knowledge they will easily be tossed and in their own interests it is better to be soft and gain atleast one or two rupees
At this rate, slowly one fine day due to their own draw-backs and due to their ancestors’s lack of vision, kannadigas might vanish from earth