Compelled, Karnataka govt asks BMRCL to remove Hindi

BENGALURU: Compelled by multiple protests by pro-Kannada organisations in the past 45 days, and the Kannada Development Authority’s (KDA) letter to the government on Thursday demanding action against the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), chief minister Siddaramaiah has instructed the latter to re-design its boards and signages to exclude Hindi.
BMRCL, which had continued to use Hindi despite protests, including two attempts to deface its name boards by pro-Kannada activists, had initially argued that it has been using Hindi at the behest of the Centre.Later, countering arguments that the state language policy must be implemented in the project, the Corporation said that it could not remove Hindi in the absence of explicit instructions from the State government.
LK Ateeq, principal secretary, chief minister’s office confirmed to TOI that the government has issued instructions to the BMRCL. While Friday’s instructions from the state ends this confusion over the issue, it may not be a permanent solution given that the Centre is an equal stakeholder in the project.
And, in order to resolve that, Siddaramaiah has also shot off a letter to to Union Urban Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, a copy of which is with TOI.
“I would like to submit that the stand of the government of India of using the three language formula is not reasonable. Although both the government of India and government of Karnataka have equal (50:50) equity stake in the BMRCL, the financial contribution of the state government is much more than that of the government of India. Moreover, the supervision of operations, providing security etc to BMRCL is the responsibility of the state government,” Siddaramaiah’s letter reads.
The state, he further argued: “...has also undertaken to repay all the loans contracted by BMRCL and bear the operating losses. Therefore, it would be appropriate that the policies of the state government are implemented in the project. I would therefore request you to review your earlier decision in this regard.”
Reiterating that the state has strictly dealt with those who defaced the signages and maintained law and order in and around metro stations, the letter reads: “...You would agree that in the face of a continued agitation and demands from litterateurs and intellectuals of the city for giving primacy to the language of the state and the languages with which people of the city and the commuters are familiar, it is counter productive to continue to insist on the use of three languages including Hindi.”
Kannada writers, activists and pro-Kannada organisation arguing against use of Hindi in Namma Metro, while welcoming the move, however, say that the government must take a more holistic approach in dealing with the ‘imposition’ of Hindi by the Centre.
Writer PV Narayana, who has been among those in the forefront of these agitations, said: “While this is a welcome move that has come a bit late, my view is that this is only one step in the right direction. The government must implement its language policy across the spectrum.”
Writer Baragur Ramachandra also argued that the larger issue is the imposition of Hindi that is against the federal structure intruding into local cultures and sentiments, and that, the removal of the script from signages is only a symbolic move.
Stating that the cultural aspirations and sentiments of the people of Karnataka need to be respected, Siddaramaiah’s letter says that apart from the “cultural need to give primacy to the language of the state, it is also practical to use those languages which people can read and follow.
“It is not essential to use Hindi in signages as the commuters who use the metro are comfortable with reading and understanding Kannada and/or English. Therefore the State government is compelled to ask the BMRCL to temporarily re-deisgn the signages and name boards in metro stations without using Hindi,” Siddaramaiah has said.
“The BMRCL has been violating the State’s language policy since 2011 and although it has taken the government so many years to act, the decision is welcome and we hope that the government ensures implementation of the same,” Arun Javgal of Banavasi Balaga, which started the agitation against Metro said.