Bengaluru, Apr 6 (PTI) A pro-Kannada organisation on Monday protested against Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot over a letter from Lok Bhavan asking the state government to reconsider its decision to replace the marks system with a grading system for the third language in the SSLC (Class 10) exam.
The organisation protested at Freedom Park, accusing the Governor of being an “agent of the Hindi imperialists” and demanding that the Centre recall Gehlot.
“At one point in time, this country was ruled by British imperialists. Now it is the time of the Hindi imperialists. India is a country of multiple languages, not just Hindi Bharath. Our national leaders and the Governor should understand this,” the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike President T A Narayana Gowda told reporters.
Stating that, as the Governor of Karnataka, Gehlot should have shown responsibility for protecting the state’s linguistic culture and the future of its children, he said, “Looking at the governor functioning as an agent of the Hindi imperialists, we feel that he is unfit to be the governor of Karnataka. The Government of India should recall him. Karnataka doesn’t need such a governor.” The KRV president asked the governor to write letters to North Indian states, including his native Madhya Pradesh, which has a two-language policy, urging them to teach Kannada in their respective states.
He said that many students fail the SSLC exams every year because of Hindi. “Did the governor obtain statistics and speak in favour of Kannadiga students?” he asked.
Gowda also criticised state BJP leaders for supporting Hindi and the three-language policy instead of standing up for Kannadiga students.
Minister for School Education and Literacy Madhu Bangarappa had announced on March 27 on the floor of the Assembly that, starting this academic year, the government would replace the marks system for the third language in the SSLC exam with a grading system that would not impact a student’s overall results.
Noting that Hindi is not the only language taught as a third language in the state, the minister said, “But Hindi is the most commonly taught third language.” Subsequently, on March 2, Lok Bhavan, in a letter to Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, said the government’s decision should be “comprehensively examined.” Citing representations received by Lok Bhavan against the government’s decision, Special Secretary to the Governor P Prabhu Shankar wrote, “The Hon’ble governor has taken note of the issues raised in the representation and desires that the matter be examined comprehensively, keeping in view its academic and administrative aspects across the education sector.” “Therefore, I kindly request you to examine the matter in consultation with the Department of School Education and other concerned authorities, and take such action as deemed appropriate in the larger interest of students and the State’s educational objectives,” the letter added. PTI KSU SSK
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