Mysuru: Members of Kannada Kriya Samithi have demanded the State Government to take measures to teach English more effectively instead of introducing English medium in 1,000 selected Government-run Schools from the next academic year.

The Samithi passed a resolution in this regard at the State-level meeting organised by the Samithi at Nrupatunga Kannada School, Ramakrishna Nagar in city on Sunday.

Stating that the Governor had returned the proposal of making Kannada as a medium of instruction (for standard one to four) back to the Government, they urged that the Karnataka Government to withdraw its order passed in this regard.

The State Government has still not rehashed the legislation and sent it back to the Governor; and later for Presidential assent, they regretted. They said that the State Government was already teaching English as a subject from first standard in Government Schools and the Government must initiate measures for effective English teaching instead of introducing the language as a medium of instruction, which would be detrimental to the interests of Kannada, they added.  

The meeting also decided to send this resolution to the heads of District Kannada Sahitya Parishat in all districts besides to all pro-Kannada activists, littérateurs and experts to launch a movement to fight against the introduction of English medium from next academic year.

Speaking on the occasion, littérateur Prof. K.S. Bhagawan said that English medium schools were mushrooming in cities,  towns and villages and added that a majority of parents were encouraging their children to study in such schools. Moreover, the Supreme Court has left the issue of choosing the medium of instruction of children to their parents, he added.

Kannada Kriya Samithi President P. Mallesh, who also spoke,   said that writers from all over the State were invited to the meeting where the status of Kannada in the State was being discussed and  condemned writers who held posts in Government organisations for ignoring the invite.

Kannada Development Authority Chairman S.G. Siddharamaiah, Kuvempu Basha Bharati Pradhikara Chairman Marulasiddappa, Kannada Sahitya Parishat President Manu Baligar, Kannada Book Authority Chairperson Vasundhara Bhupathi were invited for the meeting, but they failed to turn up for this meeting, he pointed out.

Coming down heavily on Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, Mallesh said that though the Chief Minister had assured that the Government would not implement English medium in schools, the order had been passed and the Government was indeed implementing it.

He said that their opposition was not against teaching English but against making English a medium of instruction in Government Schools. Writers Chennaveera Kanavi and Chidananda Murthy have expressed their support through letters addressed to the Samithi, he added.

Kannada Kriya Samithi General Secretary S.R. Sudarshan, Office-bearers Samskruthi Subramanya,  K.S. Narasimhamurthy, M.B. Vishwanath, littérateur Hanur Krishnamurthy, Horeyala Doreswamy, Prof. Kalegowda Nagawara, Prof. C.P. Siddashrama, Prof S.A. Talawara, G.P. Basavaraju, Dr. C.G. Ushadevi, H.S. Vasanthamma, C.N. Mahadevaswamy, D.N. Purushottamrao, S. Balakrishna, Krishna Janamana, Dr. H.T. Shailaja and others were present.