Kannada is supreme in Karnataka, says C T Ravi
Bengaluru, Oct 3: Karnataka Kannada and Culture Minister C T Ravi on Thursday said the BJP-led government at the Centre has no plans to impose Hindi, as he asserted that Kannada is supreme in the state.
"Central government is not imposing Hindi and it won't do it also. Our party's principle is that importance should be given to regional languages," Ravi said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "Kannada has its own ability and in Karnataka Kannada is supreme... link language is different matter and it was left for people to decide whether one needs to learn it or not."
Union Home Minister Amit Shah last month pitched for Hindi as a common language for the country, which had reignited the debate on the issue, and drew flak from various organisations and political parties in the southern states.
Seeking to defend Shah's statement, Ravi said it was an opinion that Hindi can be a link language in the country, as "we have accepted English as the link language internationally". It had nothing to do with imposition.
"This opinion is not new as several leaders in the past like Nehru and Indira Gandhi have advocated this. It is not a matter of politics," he said, noting that a good per cent of people in the country naturally speak Hindi.
Following the controversy over Shah's statement, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa too had recently asserted that Kannada is the principal language in the state and its importance will never be compromised.
Ravi said, eleven years after Kannada got classical language status, steps were now being initiated towards formally initiating activities including setting up of Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Kannada, currently functioning at a quarters in Mysuru, and blamed inaction on part of successive governments for it.
After meeting experts on the issue, he said though Kannada was given the classical language status in 2008, because of initial confusions including litigation and the location to set up the Centre of Excellence for Studies resulted in not reaching that should have been achieved in ten years.
"As a way forward we will now be registering a society and will also be forming three committees- governing board, finance committee and academic council," he said.
The government would soon decide whether to set up the Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Kannada at Mysuru University or Kalagrama in Bengaluru, he added.
Stating that he will discuss with the Chief Minister and cabinet colleagues and he will take all necessary steps to facilitate research in Kannada, an ancient language, the Minister said, this will help the state in getting more funds from the central government.
He said: "So far only Rs 10 crore has been received from the centre after being accorded classical language status.
... it is because of lack of preparedness on our part, and successive government's inaction."
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UP: Fake IAS officer marries woman, flees with Rs 15 lakh dowry
Gorakhpur (UP) (PTI): A newly married man fled with the Rs 15 lakh given to him as dowry by the bride's family, and it came to light later that he was an alleged serial scammer, police said on Sunday.
The accused, identified as Pritam Kumar Nishad from Etawah, allegedly posed as an IAS officer to deceive the woman into marrying him. He is currently absconding with his sister, and a case has been filed against him for cheating, dowry harassment, and forgery, officials said.
According to the police, the woman's family claimed that they spent nearly Rs 30 lakh for the wedding that was solemnised on March 11.
The match was arranged through a matrimonial group, where the accused introduced himself as an IAS officer, sharing purported interview clips, office visuals, and photographs with politicians to gain the family's trust.
Despite initially claiming he would marry without dowry, the accused allegedly demanded Rs 15 lakh shortly before the engagement. The bride's family paid Rs 10 lakh in cash during the engagement and the remaining Rs 5 lakh on the wedding day, the police said.
The fraud came to light on Saturday after the woman reached Etawah, and a wedding attendee informed the family that the accused was not a civil servant. When her relatives visited the address provided by him, they found her in a small rented room, while the accused and his sister had fled, the police added.
The woman has also alleged that the accused planned to take her to Goa and sell her, and accused him of inappropriate behaviour.
The police suspect that the accused may have been involved in multiple such marriages in the past. Based on a complaint lodged at the cantonment police station, an FIR was registered on Saturday evening.
Senior Superintendent of Police Dr Kaustubh said efforts are underway to arrest the accused.
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