BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has reiterated the need for making regional languages as the compulsory medium of instruction in primary education and has demanded that the Union government amend the Constitution in this regard.
In his address to the state on the eve of Karnataka Rajyotsava (state formation day), Siddaramaiah expressed dismay at the Supreme Court verdict which struck down Karnataka’s legislation to implement Kannada as the compulsory medium of instruction in primary education.
“If implemented, the Supreme Court order will not just pose a threat for survival of Kannada, but survival of all regional languages in the country,” he said.
India has a federal system in which states have been formed on the basis of language. Regional languages in respective states should get top priority. The Union government should take the initiative to amend the Constitution to preserve and protect regional languages. Even Mahatma Gandhi, Vivekananda and Ram Manohar Lohia had advocated mother tongue as the medium of instruction in primary education, Siddaramaiah said.
Siddaramaiah conveyed his commitment to interact with Chief Ministers of other states to convince the centre in this regard.
“Blind obsession of our people for English is shaking the very survival of Kannada. We have to analyse the reasons behind Kannadigas developing this belief that their children have no future without mastering English,” he said.