Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Mar 11: Kerala government had posted Malayalam teachers not knowing Kannada to Kannada schools located on Karnataka border three years ago. That move of the government had to face stiff resistance. The Kerala government has, after a gap of three years, again resorted to the same tactic.

The government, which had reversed its earlier stand after the people expressed themselves against it, has begun the process of posting Malayalam language teachers to these schools.

Representational image

Three years back, out of 23 teachers selected through Kerala Public Service Commission, eight Malayalam teachers had been appointed to Kannada medium schools. The teachers who were expected to teach in Kannada medium themselves did not understand Malayalam. The students did not know Malayalam and could not read that language. This matter had become a controversy, and protests had been held.

On that occasion, Malayalam teachers had been posted to Manglapady, Uduma, Kunjathur, Paivalike and Badiadka schools in the district. The border area Kannada organizations had approached the high court. Kerala government shifted some of the Malayalam teachers while a few were sent to the regional language centre at Mysuru for learning Kannada. The issue died down thereafter.

Now, the second batch of KPSC candidates who passed the exam relating to 2014 batch and faced interview, are being posted silently. Malayalam teachers are appointed to Kannada schools. Science teacher knowing only Malayalam has been posted to Angadimogaru Kannada medium school near Seetangoli from Kottayam. His appointment order was issued on February 28 and he doesn't know Kannada. Malayalam teachers are being posted at a critical time when exams are round the corner.

Kerala high court had ordered in 2016 that Kannada-knowing teachers have to be posted in Kasargod district as it has constitutional linguistic minority status. But the selection process dating back to 2014 is being affected now and this might spell trouble for Kannada students.

The cases filed last time opposing the appointment of Malayalam teachers to Kannada medium schools are pending in the high court. The petitions filed by various organizations have demanded not to appoint Malayalam teachers to Kannada schools. The government has started fresh bout of controversial appointments even before the above petitions have not been taken up for hearing.

Kerala border area unit of Kannada Sahitya Parishad president, S V Bhat, has warned that the organizations will be compelled to go to court again if the government continues to appoint Malayalam teachers to Kannada schools. He noted that three earlier cases are pending in Kerala high court already.