Date:17/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/17/stories/2008071753350400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

‘Nudi Habba’ in border taluks

Special Correspondent

’Mukhyamantri’ Chandru

BANGALORE: The Kannada Development Authority has decided to launch Nudi Habba (language festival) in the taluks located in border areas.

Announcing this during an interaction with writers, representatives of various Kannada organisations and labour unions on Wednesday, Kannada Development Authority Chairman “Mukhyamanthri” Chandru said the Nudi Habba would commence in September.

During these celebrations, the KDA will take well-known Kannada writers, artistes and singers to the border taluks. Several cultural events and seminars on Kannada would also be held. Efforts would be made through these celebrations to win the confidence of non-Kannada speaking people and to get their support for Kannada-related programmes.

He said the KDA had decided to felicitate nearly 50 judges of the lower courts for delivering judgements in Kannada. Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa would felicitate the judges at a programme to be organised in Bangalore on August 17, he noted.

The KDA will bring out a book on the personalities who played an active role in the State re-organisation movement. The book will have more than 460 pages.

Mr. Chandru said the KDA was also planning to organise a joint seminar with Andhra Pradesh in Delhi on the issues involved in providing classical language status. Such an effort was being made by the KDA to bring pressure on the Centre to accord such a status to Kannada.

Well known writers including M. Chidananda Murthy and representatives of Kannada organisations stressed the need for providing employment to Kannadigas in all the industrial and commercial establishments in Karnataka by implementing the Sarojini Mahishi committee’s report. Mr. Murthy remarked that providing employment was more important than organising festivals. “More than 85 per cent of the KDA’s focus should be on providing employment to Kannadigas,” he said.

Some of the representatives of Kannada organisations recommended that the penalty for not displaying Kannada signboards by shops and commercial establishments should be included in the property tax system itself.