Kannada-English should go hand in hand
Many thinkers, writers and literatures have taken to streets protesting against the government decision to open English medium schools. It is rather significant to note that this protest is supported and endorsed by former 'bandaya’ (rebel) writers and noted writer SL Bhyrappa. Their apprehension is that if government starts English medium schools. Kannada would be lost forever. But it is rather appropriate to ask this question about the schools where their kids and grandkids are getting their education.
The answer to this question would be rather very disappointing. No one is doubting their love for Kannada. And their protests may not save any Kannada schools, is a hard fact.
Kannada medium in today's Karnataka is like a worn off dress used and discarded by upper caste and affluent people. For a simple reason that they are studying in Government schools people are forced to wear the same tattered dress. We also need to note that Kannada schools are closing down one by one in the recent times. Sub quality of education is not the only contributing factor to this.
The middle class and the lower middle class people, having realised the value of English based education, are refusing to send their children to Kannada medium schools.
Only those families that can ill afford to send their children to private schools are sending their wards to government schools. These children are ideal Guinea pigs for lab experiments for our writers.
None of them even spared a thought to see why over 3000 Kannada schools closed down in the past in the state, what could be the reasons for this, why the number of students is dwindling in these schools, why parents are not admitting their children here and how that can be rectified through dialogue with the government.
What happens with government schools close down? People from lower economic background and backward castes lose the lone opportunity to access education forever. Government English medium schools present these kids with two opportunities. They not only get education free of cost, along with that they also get the knowledge of English that will help them access better opportunities in life. They can then stand on par with kids who study in private schools.
This is what worries people like Bhyrappa who come from privileged brahminical background when they oppose thoughts such as this. How would it make any difference whether government schools teach in English or Kannada medium when the existence of these very schools is in a quandary?
We need to support these English medium schools at least on experimental basis. We need not take words of these lofty idealistic people who are not concerned about the future of lakhs of children. We need to work on saving government schools. If government schools can survive and work by teaching English, we must support that shift. Along with this, we also need to find a way to save Kannada for future. Today's situation is that we need to incorporate the enticement towards English to save Kannada.
In the past, writer Anantha Murthy had said in his speech of a Kannada conference chair that today we need to find ways to ensure Kannada and English co exist for better future. Today, in other English schools, Kannada is being ignored totally, hence the new generation stands very far from Kannada.
If this continues, a generation of Kannada speaking people may come to an end in the next two decades. Private schools thrive on the fear of parents who feel English is inevitable for a better future of their children. We need to use the same strategy to push English into government schools and save them.
Along with Kannada, we also need to teach English from primary classes to kids. This way, Kannada inevitably has to ride the shoulder of English. We cannot operate anywhere in banks or Courts, government offices or new businesses such as IT and BT without English. Having made English this inevitable, to say that the poor needn't learn English would be the selfishness of a particular privileged category.
If these writers and thinkers feel English should not enter the education scenario in government schools, let them take up the fight for nationalisation of education itself. If not, the gap between the quality of education for the rich and poor will widen with every passing day. It will push the lower caste into darkness and lift the rich to better life. Hence if English is indeed inevitable, it is better to implement it thoughtfully than to live in denial about it.
Let Kannada March ahead using English as its vehicle. A student, who is educated in a govt school to communicate in both languages, can compete very confidently with convent educated students. He or she would be a lot more creative and rational in his approach. The government should never hesitate from its decision to implement English. At the same time, the government should ensure Kannada is also given equal emphasis in the meantime.
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“Voters were intimidated, threatened,” alleges Uttar Pradesh Cong Chief Ajay Rai
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai on Saturday alleged that the voters were intimidated and threatened by the ruling BJP regime. Rai's remarks came as counting for nine Assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh shows a strong performance by the BJP and its ally, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).
“It was already decided in UP that the BJP is fighting the elections with the help of its machinery. The result of that has come out. All the machinery of the government, from police to administration, was deployed. Voters were intimidated and threatened. This is a complete murder of democracy,” Rai said, as reported by Hindustan Times.
According to latest ECI trends the BJP and its ally, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) is performing strongly. Out of the nine Assembly constituencies where bypolls were held, the BJP is leading in five seats—Kundarki, Khair, Ghaziabad, Phulpur, and Majhawan. Its ally, the RLD, is ahead in Meerapur. The Samajwadi Party (SP), however, is not far behind, leading in three constituencies: Karhal, Katehari, and Sisamau.
