Eshwarappa to lead march demanding ST status for Kuruba community

News Network

October 25, 2020

Bengaluru, Oct 25: Karnataka's third-biggest community Kuruba (shepherds) will organise a padayatra from Kaaginele in Haveri district to Bengaluru, with the demand to include their community in the list of Schedule Tribe castes. The march will be led under the joint leadership of Kuruba community seer Kaginele Niranjananadapuri Swamiji and Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister KS Eshwarappa.

In a press conference on Saturday, Eshwarappa said that the padayatra of Kurubas will commence from Kaaginele to Bengaluru from January 5, 2021. "This is an apolitical movement. This is nothing to do with any party in power in Karnataka or elsewhere. This is the community's work. Therefore, we all join hands with our community seer," he said.

The seer, Niranjananadapuri Swamiji, stated that prior to organising the padayatra, the community will organise four massive conventions across the state. "The first convention will be the women's convention and this will be organised on November 8 in Kaaginele at Haveri,” said the Minister.

He further added that the community will organise other conventions in Davangere, Kalaburagi, Mysuru and Bagalakote districts.

One of the biggest conventions will be held in Bengaluru palace on February 7, to demand that the community be included in the list of ST castes. It is expected to have the participation of 10 lakh people.

Kuruba community's demand to include them into ST caste will pit them directly against the powerful Nayaka community in the state. Both communities claim that they are seven to eight per cent each of the voters in the state. Both communities are largely interlinked geographically, socially and politically in the state.

Notably, Kaginele Kanaka Guru Peetha is the main matha (monastery) of the Kuruba community and is the spiritual and cultural centre of this community. The Kurubas subscribe to the teachings of Kanakadasa, a renowned composer of Carnatic music, poet, philosopher, saint and a musician. He is known for his keertanas and ugabhoga, compositions in the Kannada language for Carnatic music. Like other Haridasas, he used simple Kannada language and native metrical forms for his compositions.

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From malls to highways, Kannada signboards to be enforced in Dakshina Kannada

News Network

February 4,2026

Mangaluru: Urban local bodies and gram panchayats should make the use of Kannada on signboards mandatory while issuing trade licences to commercial establishments, Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Darshan HV said. He also called for regular inspections to ensure compliance.

Presiding over the District Kannada Awareness Committee meeting at the deputy commissioner’s office, Darshan said the city corporation would be directed to ensure that shops operating in malls prominently display their names in Kannada. “All commercial establishments, including shops, companies, offices and hotels, must mandatorily display their names in Kannada on signboards,” he said.

The deputy commissioner added that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) would be instructed to include Kannada on signboards along national highways. Banks, he said, would be directed through committee meetings to provide application forms in Kannada.

“Even if English-medium schools and colleges impart education in English, their signboards must display the institution’s name in Kannada. Steps will also be taken to ensure that private buses display place names in Kannada,” Darshan said.

During the meeting, committee members raised concerns over the closure of Kannada-medium schools in rural areas due to a shortage of teachers and stressed the need for immediate corrective measures. They also pointed out that several industries employ workers from other states while overlooking local candidates.

Members further demanded that nationalised banks provide deposit and withdrawal slips in Kannada. It was brought to the deputy commissioner’s notice that the presence of staff without knowledge of Kannada in rural branches of nationalised banks is causing hardship to local customers.

Meanwhile, MP Srinath, president of the District Kannada Sahitya Parishat, urged the district administration to allot land for the construction of a district Kannada Bhavana in Mangaluru.

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