Date:01/04/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/04/01/stories/2006040122110300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Mother tongue: quashing of notification sought

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: The managements of private educational institutions on Friday told the Karnataka High Court that the language policy enunciated by the State Government was vague on the definition of mother tongue.

They said though the notification on the policy was issued in 1994, it had till date failed to answer questions on several issues such as which was the mother tongue language.

All that the State Government had done was to declare that the mother tongue of a child going to school or Kannada should be the medium of instruction in all schools in the State from standard I to IV.

This was the argument addressed to a full Bench of the High Court which is hearing the language issue.

The managements, most of whom are operating English medium schools, questioned the policy and some of its contents.

Appearing for the managements, senior counsel U.L. Bhat said there were various interpretations on "mother tongue."

Definition

Noted litterateur V.K. Gokak had once defined mother tongue as the official language of the State.

For others, it was the language which the parents of a child spoke. Yet another definition was that it was a language the child was more familiar with but it may or may not be the language of either the mother or father of the child, Mr. Bhat said.

He urged the court to quash the notification, saying that it was vague.

The full Bench comprising Chief Justice Cyriac Joseph, Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice N. Kumar, which heard the petition adjourned further hearing until April 12.

Senior counsel B.V. Acharya has been engaged by the State Government to argue the case.