Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Jul 9: After deliberating at length on a recent High Court ruling that makes it optional for the unaided primary schools in the state to choose either English or Kannada as the medium of instruction, a meeting of writers, Kannada activists, linguists and political leaders held here on Tuesday July 8, the state government expressed its strong reservations against this order. The government accordingly, has decided to file a review petition in the Supreme Court, seeking to nullify the ruling given by the High Court.

Chief minister B S Yeddyurappa said that the government was fully committed to protecting the interests of the state and its language. He said, that he firmly believes in an earlier ruling of the Supreme Court that makes it mandatory to have the local language or the mother tongue of the child as the medium of instruction in primary schools.  The government will file a review petition within the next two days, he informed.

Various Kannada writers and poets including Dr G S Shivarudrappa, U R Anananthamurty, Chidanandamurty, Dr D Javaregowda, Dr Chandrashekhar Kambar, Prof Chandrashekhar Patil and Prof Sa Shi Marulaiah in unison, asked the government to approach the Supreme Court against the impugned verdit of the state High Court.

Opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge assured total support from his party for any step the government might take to safeguard the interests of the state and it's people. Though a few came up with suggestions to promulgate an ordinance making it compuslory to teach in Kannada in all the primary schools, the government showed disinclination to choose this path as it feared that such a step would give rise to confusions and legal complications.