BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday inaugurated Bengaluru Hubba-2026 and flagged off a folk art procession at the grand steps of Vidhana Soudha, calling citizens to uphold unity in diversity and strengthen Kannada identity in the city.
The festival is being organised by the Department of Kannada and Culture, the industry sector, and various private organisations. With more than 350 programmes, held across over 30 locations in Bengaluru, residents are offered a platform to engage with literature, art, and culture.
Addressing the gathering, the CM said Bengaluru is home to people from different languages, religions, and regions, and stressed the need to see unity amid diversity. He said the festival aims to take Karnataka’s cultural traditions to the youth and to those who have migrated from other states and made Bengaluru their home.
Referring to social reformers such as Basavanna, Kanakadasa, and Narayana Guru, Siddaramaiah said they consistently emphasised human equality and opposed caste, superstition, and social divisions. What matters, he said, is what individuals contribute to society during their lifetime.
Emphasising the role of language in preserving cultural identity, the CM said fostering a Kannada-friendly environment is the collective responsibility of Kannadigas. He added that people who choose to settle in the State should learn Kannada and integrate into its culture.