Bengaluru, Nov 1: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he had approached Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking that a constitutional amendment be made so that Kannada can be the medium of instruction for all primary classes.
Inaugurating the Rajyotsava celebrations at the Sri Kanteerava Stadium in the City on Saturday, Siddaramaiah said that he was hopeful of a positive response from Modi. This, even as the Supreme Court had ordered that Kannada cannot be the compulsory medium of instruction.
“I have also requested him to call for a meeting with all chief ministers across the country to discuss the possibility of having regional languages as the medium of instruction for primary education,” he said.
Stating that in Bengaluru, Kannadigas were a minority, he said “Those residing here must learn the language and it is also essential that an environment is created where even others can learn the language. Kannada must become the administrative language and action will be taken against anyone demeaning the language.”
Criticising the idea of dividing the State, he said, “In the name of development, people are demanding that parts of the Karnataka be constituted into new states. This is unacceptable and will not be done at any cost.”
Condemning the recent rapes in the City long after facing criticism, he said that those committing such heinous crimes were no less than beasts. “They could well be called two-legged wild animals,” Siddaramaiah said.
To increase awareness about the issue, he said that a task force' would soon be set up in co-ordination with the departments of police, education, woman and child development and information. He also said that directions were given to schools about the measures that have to be put in place for child safety. “The management and heads of respective schools are held responsible for the implementation of the same,” he added.
Kimmane Rathnakar, Minster for Primary and Secondary Education, who spoke on the occasion, said that the department had been trying its best to ensure that untowardly incidents such as rapes do not take place. He said that the chief minister has ordered that the 6,000 posts that have been lying vacant in the department be filled.
Thousands of children from across the state participated in the event to mark Kannada Rajyotsava. Visually challenged students rendered songs on the occasion. Even as it was a hot Saturday forenoon, the energy levels of children who performed had not gone down one bit. Folk dance, dance dramas representing the culture and history of the state were among the other events.
Siddaramaiah said that if the schools did not follow all the safety guidelines before the reopening of schools after Christmas vacation, strict action would be taken and the recognition of such schools would be withdrawn. He said that criminal cases would be registered against private schools if incidents of this sort occurred.
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