MYSURU: In a remarkable confluence of art, language, and ideology, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s record 16th budget was more than a financial document. It was a bold statement of his deep-rooted commitment to Kannada culture, language, land and his own ideology in a metaphoric way.
When Siddaramaiah stood to present his budget, it was more than just numbers and policies. It was also a narrative, a tribute, a cultural manifesto wrapped in fiscal planning.
The budget book was titled ‘Monumental Mosaic: Embodying Karnataka’s Spirit’, which was not merely a document of financial allocations, but a metaphorical expression of Karnataka’s cultural, linguistic, and ideological ethos. Beyond its design, the budget book was an ode to Kannada, if dug deeper.
The cover page of the book printed by the Department of Printing, Stationery and Publications, meticulously arranged motifs symbolising strength, growth, equality, unity, youth empowerment, progress, administration, humanity, culture, and prosperity, reflecting the state’s historical depth and its aspirations for the future.
Within its pages, the poetry of Karnataka’s literary giants found a voice. Verses and lines from Kuvempu, Gopalakrishna Adiga, Kumaravyasa, Wilson Kateel, and KS Nissar Ahmed graced the budget, intertwining economic policies with the lyrical beauty of Kannada literature and also vachanas of Basavanna.
Siddaramaiah also embedded the words of Dr BR Ambedkar and Ram Manohar Lohia, aligning his fiscal policies with their vision of equality and empowerment.
The budget book was more than just numbers and policies. It was a cultural and ideological proclamation, asserting Karnataka’s identity, honouring its past, and championing an inclusive future rooted in Kannada pride. His close aides and officials claimed that Siddaramaiah did not just want to make his record 16th budget a landmark just in governance but in cultural assertion and his own ideology and approach in a metaphoric way.