Karnataka - Mysore   

Writers protest directive on name boards

Staff Correspondent

`Railway Board's order is as an attack on regional languages'

MYSORE: Writers, freedom fighters, political and Kannada activists staged a demonstration on the Mysore City Railway station premises on Saturday to protest against the Railway Board's reported directive on removal of Kannada destination name boards from trains.

Former Union Minister V. Srinivas Prasad, writers H.S. Krishnaswamy Iyengar, M. Akbar Ali, C.P. Krishna Kumar, H.J. Lakkappa Gowda, P. Mallesh, and former MLA A.S. Guruswamy participated in the demonstration.

The demonstrators held placards against the recent Railway Board's directive reportedly directing the railway authorities to remove all destination name boards from trains that were in the regional language. The board's decision to exclude Tamil from the order had incensed the demonstrators.

Mr. Prasad described the board's order as an "attack" on regional languages and emphasised the need for all States to condemn the directive.

He stressed the need for discussing the issue in Parliament. "If the Government did not respond, the agitation will be intensified," he said.

Prof. Lakkappa Gowda urged the State Government to convene an emergency meeting of MPs from the State and resolve to pressure the Union Government to withdraw the board's order.

Activists of various Kannada organisations threatened to block movement of trains in the State if the Government did not withdraw the order.

The demonstrators submitted a memorandum to the authorities.

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