Sole purpose of introducing English in primary is to overcome inferiority complex, says Kumaraswamy

BENGALURU: Chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, on the 63rd Karnataka Rajyotsava Day, reiterated that the government’s decision to make English compulsory from Class 1 will not affect Kannada and that the language wouldn’t be allowed to dominate the sovereign status of Kannada. According to him, this decision was taken so that the rural children can overcome their inferiority complex.

In September, he had said: “We will protect and promote Kannada. But at the same time, we want to ensure students from rural areas and middle-class families learn English in order to remain competitive in this fast changing world.” 

On Thursday, he insisted to the people of Karnataka to not listen to voices that are wanting to divide the state on regional lines. “Some voices have been spreading disinformation, seeking to divide the state on nomenclatures such as north Karnataka and old Karnataka. People shouldn’t pay attention to them. We should all strive for development of the state and ensure that our elders’ struggle for a unified state is not wasted,” he said.

On Thursday the crisp parade commands in Kannada echoed true and loud at the Dakshina Kannada Rajyotsava Day celebrations in Mangalore. Having heard in Marathi-inclined Belagavi for the past three years. Thanks to SP BR Ravikanthe Gowda the district police chief, Kannada parade commands have made their way to Dakshina Kannada, with reserve police inspector Ganesh HB reeling them out with panache. 

Usually done in English or Hindi, the Kannada parade commands had a rarity when Ravikanthe Gowda introduced them in Belagavi. An elated Ganesh said it was a thrilling experience for him to give parade commands in Kannada for the first time. “I had the SP guide me intensively for the past two days to get the intonations, pause and delivery right,” Ganesh said.