Namma Kannada

Hello readers,

Hope you all are doing great.

Just learning to think in another language ,allows you to see your own culture,in a better view point.

-Gate Mcfadden.

Kannada is the one of the oldest languages in the major Dravidian languages and it is a 2500 year old language. It is the state language of Karnataka. It is the only language which has got 8 Gnana Peetha Awards. It is also a phonetic language which is spelled as it is written. First Kannada-English dictionary was written by Reverend Ferdinand Kittel.

Reverend Ferdinand Kittel was a priest and indologist with the Basel Mission in south India and worked in Mangalore, Madikeri and Dharwad in Karnataka

We have read in history that ,there was a time when India was so united ,by its culture and secularism ,and some strategists in the great empire ,where the sun never set ,devised a plan to destroy this unity ,and injected its system of education ,and English as an official language ,and broke India into pieces.

Now even after 60 odd years after that have left our country we are still not proud our own culture and regional languages, which is actually illogical.

But now this, great language’s situation is grave at its home Bengaluru the capital city of Karnataka. Which is very unfortunate?

There are many long-time settlers in Bengaluru who don't know how to speak in Kannada beyond certain elementary words. Adding to this there are some people who are not even aware of the existence of Kannada. We are not exaggerating this statement. We experienced it in a verbal encounter with a person who was hailing from northern part of India. Why are people becoming hesitant to learn Kannada? Is it the fact that they have survived/managed without learning this language for a long time. Does it make any sense? This grave situation does not only exist in Bengaluru but also is also scattering to even many other parts of Karnataka State.

There are almost 60% of them who are dwelling in Bengaluru without learning Kannada. If the people’s residence in the city is for a shorter time and unsure future, then there may be an excuse for not learning the language. But it doesn't make any sense for the long time settlers not to learn the language.      

When we look at our neighbouring states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala, it would be highly impossible to even survive for a day without knowing it regional language. This is a clear indication that the people there are extremely devoted toward their language. Why is it not just happening in Bengaluru? And it has come to a situation where even the local people of Bengaluru are hesitant to speak in Kannada in public places barring their homes.

The people have developed an inferior complex toward this language. They think that speaking in Kannada would harm their self-image. The grass root of this problem starts at the home, where the parents are not encouraging their kids to learn Kannada. The parents have developed a fear complex that, if their kids speak in Kannada there would be no social acceptance by the people. Aren’t all these irrational outlooks of the people? If you don’t respect the language of that particular state, then definitely you are not a true patriot.  

There are many Kannada activists groups in the state. But what work have they have done to ensure that Kannada is spoken widely and the speakers rates are not deteriorating, which is happening in fact. The Government and the people jointly should take some aggressive measures against those who are perfidious toward the language. Only then we can see a ray of hope for the language.  

It is a moral move by the Karnataka Government to make Kannada compulsory at schools. This has already been implemented by our neighbouring states. This will help the children to learn Kannada at schools and will act as an eye-opener.

 We must praise the people of Tamilnadu and Kerala for, maintaining and the culture and showing patriotism towards their languages and region, which is the driving force for country to progress. 

The Great Jnanapeeta prashasti winners.

Please understand, we are not trying to be language biased or communist, definitely not but we are very upset the way we treat our own languages, which are almost the oldest scriptures according to history.

The rapport has to be maintained from the natives and also the visitors or people who come to Bengaluru or any other region for work or business ,to develop the tolerance towards the hometowns language .

To conclude let’s start giving mutual respect to all regional languages and make that phrase ,one India ,the linguistically secular India dream come true. We must change our attitude, towards these sensitive issues, and be tolerant to all cultures and languages.

Those who know nothing of foreign languages ,Know nothing of their own.

Johann Wolfgan Von Goethe.

Let’s start this awareness from today .Thanks for your time friends.

Living with hope

Harish Murthy and Tejus R.S