Kerala   

Unity in diversity

Kasaragod district is a meeting point of many languages. One could visit this district and experience the dexterity with which both Kannada and Malayalam speaking persons use both languages with ease. Apart from these languages, Urdu, Tulu and Marathi are some of the languages spoken. Naturally, election campaigners to woo voters in this northern district of the State used these languages. They also used poster of these languages to win the hearts of the voters. On Wednesday, when the voters of the district went to polls, voters of two constituencies, Kasaragod and Manjeswaram had their electronic voting machines displaying candidate name in both Malayalam and Kannada languages. If it is the closeness with Karnataka that brings in the influence of Kannada on the people of this district, the same closeness also has its ripples in political fields. The BJP is a force to reckon with in this district just as it is in some pockets of Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad districts, both bordering Tamil Nadu. Also Kannada-medium schools dot the district landscape ushering in a new culture of give and take.

J.S. Bablu

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