Sunday, December 31, 2006

One resolution worth making this new year

We are all set to welcome 2007, the 51st year of Karnataka's statehood, the 51st year of the recognition of Kannadanaadu as a "stand-alone" state wherein Kannada can flourish.

However, it is a sad fact that Kannada's flourishing is fast receding from the realm of possibility, let alone entering the realm of visibility! A day's visit to Bengalooru confirms this: Kannada is virtually banned in the Malls, shopping complexes, commercial establishments, central government offices and MNCs! Of course nobody has the guts - like the British had - to put up apartheid-ish signs saying "Kannada speakers and dogs not allowed inside", but every other instrument of linguistic oppression against us in our own land is well in place: no customer service in Kannada, no banks in Kannada, no receptionists speaking Kannada, no roadsigns in Kannada, you name it: it's either not there in Kannada at all, or Kannada is hidden away from where you can see it like dirty underwear. English and Hindi are taking up those "primetime" slots.

Some people (well, actually mostly the newspapers and tv channels) attribute this to globalization and the emergence of a "resurgent India". But what kind of resurgence is this, when our own language is being wiped off our own state? This is not progress, this is the sign of doom. This is the sign of a disintegrating India, the disintegration catalysed by the so called "educated Indian".

It is sad that up-and-coming Kannadiga youth are buying this suicidal theory. They've got money in their hands, but fail to understand that that very money is an instrument with which to resurrect Kannada in Karnataka. That money works wonders in this capitalistic world: customer is god!

So let's make a new year resolution, one resolution worth making this new year, and stick to it:

"I will not use any language other than Kannada for interacting with anybody, anywhere, for any reason inside Karnataka. If this is not possible at my workplace, I shall not let that interfere with the world outside work. Even at work, I will not patronize any language other than Kannada. Outside work, I will demand service in Kannada in banks, malls, central government offices, while obtaining customer services, everywhere! This is my birthright, and this is the least I can do to serve Karnataka, and thereby India."

By sticking to this basic resolution, Kannadiga youth can work wonders in resurrecting Kannada in Karnataka. And when that happens, we can be sure that we're progressing - for it is Kannada with which Kannadigas can communicate and cooperate and rise higher; not english, not any other language.

Thursday, December 28, 2006

Derecognition of schools and prostitution on paper

About 4000 schools in Karnataka which have violated government rules and illegally run English medium classes (after signing on bond paper to run Kannada medium classes) have been slated to loose recognition starting next academic year, which means sometime around April 10th, 2007.

However, the newspapers - all the English papers and a few Kananda papers - have behaved in such an irresponsible way (and upheld going against law) that one almost starts developing an aversion towards newspapers in general. It is a known fact that the Indian press has turned to virtual prostitution - selling every inch of its body, especially its vital parts - the editorial and opinion columns. The Times of India and its "sister publications", Vijay Times and Vijay Karnataka, have been leading the pack.

What have the newspapers done?
  1. First of all, they've removed focus from the actual problem, which is that the erring schools have actually been illegal in not doing what they signed on bond paper. After having removed focus from this, they've tried to make this a "philosophical question" about "which medium is better: Kannada or English"? The fact is - irrespective of that question, nobody can get away by violating law. If this is let go of, the courts will have to let go of every mistrust case: you don't need to do what you said you'll do on your apartment's sale deed, etc etc!
  2. Next, they've tried to wage a childish war against minister Basavaraj Horatti and politicians in general, trying to "bring them to their knees" on the point of them sending their children to English medium schools! How childish, how irresponsible this is! What has that got to do with a set of illegal businessmen (yeah, that's what those who run the school are) defaulting? Again, this too is nothing but a trick to "lead" the "reader" away from the real problem and fill public minds with the agenda of those businessmen. Why would the papers do that? Because they've bought the "body" and the "vital parts" of the newspapers, that's why.
  3. Then, the papers ask as to why the punishment was not given for all these years (the legislation against English medium schools was passed in 1993), knowing fully well that the politicians cannot answer this question in public - the reason being those traitors have been made to shut up by these illegal businessmen by way of bribe - the same businessmen who have bought the newspapers. For a moment, let's forget about all this bribing which has happened, and just ask: "What's wrong if the policeman finds out a little late that someone has stolen his neighbor's son's golden ring?". Instead of focusing on the fact that the ring has been stolen and that the police have finally managed to track down the criminal, is it a display of post-adolescent behavior to ask why the police are so late?
  4. Next, the papers, especially Vijay Karnataka, ask as to how punishing the schools is going to help Kannada. This is a cheap trick to make Kanandigas feel that the government is doing nothing to help Kannada - whereas the fact is that the papers don't really care a damn about Kannada. Again, the strategy is to defocus from the real issue, manipulate mass sentiments and get away by doing what the bribing businessmen want them to do.
  5. Then these papers (this time led by Vijay Times) ask how, if it's okay to legalize illegal buildings, it's not okay to legalize illegal schools! What a display of responsibility! What a way of "guarding the reader"! Instead of bringing the corrupt politicians down to their knees for the anti-people act of legalizing illegal buildings, these traitors want illegal schools to be legalized! What a display of puberty! What a display of ethics! What a display of concern for people! What a display of democratic thinking!
It is high time we wake up and realize the damage being done by this harem of publications. It's high time we Kannadigas realize the real agenda of the press today - the complete destruction of Kannada, Kannadiga and Karnataka.