Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network-Udupi(HB)

Udupi, Mar 13: Karnataka Rakshana Vedike president T A Narayana Gowda on Saturday March 12, inaugurated a meeting at Lions Bhavan, Brahmagiri and stressed on protecting Kannadiga culture.

Addressing the meet he said,"The vedike is fighting for the protection of the Kannada language, Kannadiga culture, tackling the border issue of Kasargod, resolving river related issues like Cauvery, Mahadayi, Krishna etc, recruiting candidates from Karnataka to Kannada departments and railway departments."

"There is need for discussions to be held on conflicting issues in the state."

Gowda alleged that Maharashtra was disseminating its culture in Karnataka. Our state is facing problems of language, border, land and water, unemployment.

He also added if the state government had implemented the Sarojini Mahishi report on employment where  certain percentage of jobs are to be given to Kannadigas of both private and public sector companies, then nearly 75% of the Kannadigas would have been placed in jobs today in the corporate sector.

"Politicians are playing vote bank politics. Not one of the parties is working towards the betterment of Karnataka," he said.

"Migrants coming from faraway places in search of jobs especially in Bengaluru should stop or else Kannadigas will lose out on the state’s capital from reaching their hands. Minorities are dominating Kannadiga territories. Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti has now started to control Belgaum."

Regarding the Yettinahole project, Gowda said, "Two different regions are fighting within the same state. People's representatives are the cause for the rising conflicts. A meeting will be held around the fourth week of this month in Bengaluru on this issue in the presence of the chief minister and the irrigation minister. No project should hurt the interest and feelings of the locals," he added.

Dejur Jagadeesh Urs delivered the keynote.

S R Lobo, district president, Anjanappa, Ashwini Gowda, vice president, Sarika, state secretary, Prachi, convener, Mahila unit, Basavaraj Padukote, state leader, Shankar guru Pateel and others were present.

Sudesh Shet welcomed the gathering.