From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Nov 7: Chief minister B S Yediyurappa said the state government was committed to give primacy to Kannada and top-most priority to all work pertaining to the development and growth of the Karnataka’s official language of Kannada.
He was addressing a gathering of about 300 persons, including the awardees and their family members and key persons at a function to present awards to 60 individuals and representatives of five organisations chosen for the Kannada Rajyothsava Awards for the year 2020 at Ravindra Kalakshetra in Bengaluru on Saturday.
The state government would take up a variety of programmes for the growth and development of Kannada language and literatures and the state’s culture and arts as part of the "Kannada KayakaVarsha" (year of Kannda work) from this month till October 31, 2021, he declared and reiterated that the government will continue the work even later.
Yediyurappa urged all sections of people to use Kannada in their day-to-day life and said the language will develop and prosper only when people use it regularly. "It is our bounden duty to develop our mother tongue just as we respect, honour, care and love our own mother," he asserted.
"Kannada should be the language of our hearts and minds as well as day-to-day life. The language should develop and grow by using modern technology and the people should get attuned to reap the benefits of information technology," he said pointing out that "Kannada language and culture should be our identity."
The chief minister lauded the achievements and contribution of the 60 individuals and five organisations and said the state was proud to recognize and honour some of the achievers, even though the number of people who have contributed to the growth of language was really large.
The awards carries cash prizes of Rs 1 lac each and a 20 gram gold medal.
Kannada and Culture and Tourism Minister C T Ravi, while speaking to reporters after the function, said he was proud of serving as a minister and holding the portfolio of Kannada and Culture, Tourism, Sports and Youth Empowerment.
He mentioned that he has already submitted his resignation to chief minister Yediyurappa on November 2 after being appointed as the national general secretary of BJP. "The chief minister is yet to accept my resignation and will probably relieve me of the responsibility during the next cabinet expansion," he said.
Deputy Chief Minister Lakshman Savadi, Kannada and Culture and Tourism Minister C T Ravi, Tejaswi Surya, MP, Udaya Garudachar, MLA, Kannada and Culture Department Secretary Rashmi, Kannada and Culture Department Director Rangappa and others were present at the function.