Kannada has survived because of native speakers from North Karnataka: Horatti

Chairman of the Legislative Council Basavaraj Horatti has said that it was because of the people of North Karnataka that Kannada had remained in circulation and survived in Karnataka.

Chairman of the Legislative Council Basavaraj Horatti has said that it was because of the people of North Karnataka that Kannada had remained in circulation and survived in Karnataka.

He was inaugurating the award ceremony organised as part of the Karnataka Rajyotsava celebrations by Hubballi Dharwad Municipal Corporation at Indira Glass House in Hubballi on Tuesday evening.

Mr. Horatti said that because of the increase in the number of Telugu and Tamil speaking people in Bengaluru, the number of Kannada speaking people had reduced. “However, the people of North Karnataka continued to speak Kannada and promote it. Kannada has survived because of the native speakers from this region,” he said.

Expressing concern and pain over the closure of Kannada schools in the State, Mr. Horatti said that the spirit of Kannada should not be limited to just celebrations in November. Kannada spirit should continue throughout the year and year-long programmes should be organised, he said, suggesting to the municipal corporation to conduct Kannada programmes every month.

Congratulating the award winners, Mahesh Tenginakai, MLA, said while the number of applicants were more, the best among them had been chosen and other deserving candidates would be recognised in the coming days.

Former Mayor Pandurang Patil said the municipal corporation had been actively involved in pulling the ‘Kannada chariot’ and celebrating the Kannada spirit all these years.

Mayor Ramanna Badiger presided over the award ceremony. 69 achievers in different fields were honoured with ‘Dheemanta’ award, six children with ‘Bala Puraskara’, and 18 with special achievement award. Various troupes presented cultural programmes.