Bengaluru: Kannada is the first priority in the administration of the city corporations, and everyone living in the state must use the language, Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) Chief Commissioner M. Maheshwar Rao said at a Kannada Rajyotsava event at the GBA head office.
The Kannada association of GBA and city corporation employees organised the 71st Kannada Rajyotsava celebration and presented the Karnataka Ratna Dr Puneeth Rajkumar award to achievers. The event was inaugurated by lighting the lamp by Maheshwar Rao, actor-directors T.S. Nagabharana and S. Narayan, the association’s honorary president and former mayor J. Huchappa, retired IAS officer Dr C. Somashekar, pro-Kannada activist M. Thimmaiah, comedian Mu.Gu. Suresh, GBA and corporations officers and employees welfare association president A. Amruth Raj, Kannada association president H. Nanjappa and honorary secretary P. Dayanand.
Maheshwar Rao said everyone in administrative offices and across the state should use Kannada, and that the language has been given first priority in the corporation. The Puneeth Rajkumar award is being presented to people from art and literature and to corporation officers and employees, he said, adding that Bengaluru has earned global recognition because corporation officers and staff are doing good work.
Nagabharana said Kannada should be celebrated every day, not only on Rajyotsava, and that people must think about the challenges Kannadigas will face in the future. Kannada must be retained in education, he said, noting that corporation schools are doing well even as English-medium schools increase. If the corporation decides, it can preserve and grow Kannada in the city, he said, urging people to teach Kannada to speakers of other languages with affection and to use it in education, jobs and business.
S. Narayan said the corporation’s efforts keep Bengaluru beautiful and clean and called pourakarmikas “cleanliness warriors”. Rajyotsava is a day to remember those who fought for the unification of Karnataka, he said, urging people to simply use Kannada and to make it a habit at home. Recalling Puneeth Rajkumar, he said Kannadigas had wished he had lived longer and acted in more films.
Huchappa said the association, now 30 years old, runs on its own funds and celebrates Rajyotsava at the international, national and state levels. Respecting Kannada is like respecting one’s mother and speakers of other languages should learn it, he said. Amruth Raj said the association honours people who have served the land, language, art and literature in memory of Puneeth Rajkumar.
The award was presented to actor Balaraj, folk singer Gururaj Hosakote, actor Sharath Lohitashwa and actress Bhavani Prakash, as well as to pro-Kannada activists, people serving literature and music, journalists, and corporation officers and employees.
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