The Hindu : Front Page : `Kannada will get classical language status'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 12, 2005

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`Kannada will get classical language status'

Special Correspondent

We have explained to the Prime Minister why classical language status should be accorded to Kannada, says Dharam Singh

GULBARGA: Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh on Sunday brushed aside criticism that the Government is not taking steps to persuade the Union Government to accord classical language status to Kannada.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr. Dharam Singh refused to comment on the remarks made by Jnanpith Award winner U.R. Ananthamurthy against the Government in this connection. He pointed out that he had met the Prime Minister on two occasions seeking classical language status to Kannada. Mr. Dharam Singh said during his visit to New Delhi on November 25 he called on the Prime Minister and apprised him of the facts and also explained why classical language status should be accorded to Kannada.

Again during the Prime Minister's visit to Bangalore, Mr. Dharam Singh said, he had led a delegation of writers and reiterated the demand for according classical language status to Kannada. Mr. Dharam Singh said that the Prime Minister gave a patient hearing to the pleas of the State Government and promised to consider the request sympathetically. "We are confident that a positive decision will be announced soon," he said.

Mr. Dharam Singh said the Government had also lodged its protest with the Union Government for its decision to change the criterion for according classical status to a language. When the decision to accord classical language status to Tamil was made, the criterion was 1,000 years for a language to get that status but now the Union Government has increased it to 1,500 years.

He said the Government had asked the Prime Minister to accord classical language status to Kannada by applying the norm taken into consideration for according similar status to Tamil.

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