Set right regional imbalance, Govt. told

By Our Staff Correspondent

SATYAKAMA VEDIKE (BAGALKOT), JUNE 24. The 68th All India Kannada Sahitya Sammelan, while disapproving any idea of carving out a new State within Karnataka, has urged the State Government to set right the regional imbalance.

Ms. Shantadevi Malawada in her presidential address felt that even 40 years after the formation of Karnataka State, all the regions had not equally developed, and that gave room for a separatist movement.

Expressing grave concern over the recent outcry for a separate State by a section of the people in North Karnataka, she said the Union and State governments should immediately initiate steps to set up a High Court Bench in Northern Karnataka and the headquarters of the South-West Railway Zone at Hubli.

Unified Karnataka came into existence after a lot of struggle. But dreams of the people had not come true as regional imbalances continued, she said and felt that all regions should be developed equally.

She said the Government should give priority to solving the controversy over the height of the Alamatti Dam and the Cauvery waters dispute so that the people of Karnataka could get maximum benefit out of these projects.

Recognising the lack of enough science and technology literature in Kannada, she suggested to the Government to encourage scientists and professionals to write textbooks in Kannada by giving them special grants.

She also urged the Government to give special grants to presidents of the sahitya sammelan to carry out language development work throughout the year. Lauding the advancement of the State in the field of information technology, she suggested that the Government should use this technology in all the fields to benefit the people.

Criticising the poor implementation of Kannada as the official language, Ms. Malawada said that only Kannada should be used in administration.

Admitting the presence of regional imbalance, writer and the president of last year's sammelan, Mr. S. L. Bhairappa, held the people's representative of the region responsible for the backwardness of the North Karnataka. He supported the demand for a High Court Bench in North Karnataka and the South-West Railway Zone headquarters at Hubli. However, he opposed the concept of separate State.

The Bagalkot MP and president of the reception committee, Mr. R. S. Patil, urged the Chief Minister, Mr. S. M. Krishna, to establish the High Court Bench in North Karnataka.

Owing to a long procession, the inauguration was delayed by three hours. The Chief Minister, who arrived at the venue around 11.45 a.m; had to wait for the sammelan president and the other dignitaries for an hour.

Tension prevailed for sometime when a group of agitators, mostly advocates, started shouting slogans and resorted to a black-flag demonstration.

The former Chief Minister, Mr. M. Veerappa Moily, the Minister of State for Kannada and Culture, Ms. Rani Satish, the Major Irrigation Minister, Mr. H. K. Patil, ministers from the district, Mr. Chimmanakatti, Mr. Kashappanavar and Mr. Thimmapur, the President of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat, Mr. Basavaradhya, and MLAs from the district were present.

Hundreds of artists and thousands of delegates from all over India and Kannada activists participated in the sammelan.

The Chief Minister, Mr. S. M. Krishna, lighting the lamp to inaugurate the 68th Kannada Sahitya Sammelan at Bagalkot on Saturday.

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