Mandya: Welcoming the state govt’s stand against the imposition of Hindi, Kannada activists held a victory celebration in Mandya.The event reflected strong support for protecting the primacy of Kannada in the state. Members of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike and other Kannada organisations gathered at the Farmers’ Hall here, and paid floral tributes to the statue of poet laureate Kuvempu. The activists hailed the state govt’s decision not to count third-language (Hindi) for SSLC marks as a significant victory for Kannadigas and for the preservation of Karnataka’s linguistic identity. The gathering soon turned celebratory as participants raised slogans in support of the govt and distributed sweets among the public. They said the govt’s move safeguarded the dignity and importance of the Kannada language in education and administration.However, the mood briefly turned tense when the discussion shifted to recent remarks made by some BJP MLAs regarding Hindi. Protesters voiced strong opposition, alleging that certain political leaders were advocating Hindi imposition to please their national leadership, even though many themselves were not fluent in the language.The demonstrators stressed that in the land of Kannadigas, Kannada must always receive highest priority. They recalled that in the past, several students faced academic difficulties due to the pressure of learning Hindi alongside other languages. While appreciating the state govt’s decision, the activists also urged the Centre to take a decisive stand to ensure Hindi is not forced upon non-Hindi-speaking states.Prominent participants in the demonstration included MB Naganna Gowda, KRV leader Jayaram, Sandesh and several other Kannada activists.Recently, the state govt replaced marks with grading for third languages Hindi, Kannada, English, Arabic, Urdu, Sanskrit, Konkani, Tulu and Marathi.
