Presentation of ‘Gadinaada Chetana’, a state-level award

Announcing that Rs 100 crore will be released to the Karnataka Border Areas Development Authority before March 31, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said there is an urgent need to take up development in the areas of education, industry, infrastructure, and Kannada language and asked the Authority to submit an action plan.

Speaking after inaugurating a function for the presentation of ‘Gadinaada Chetana’, a state-level award on behalf of Karnataka Border Areas Development Authority here on Thursday, he said already, Rs 25 crore had been released to the authority and another Rs 100 crore will be provided in the next budget. Problems of people living in the border areas must be responded to as well as the Kannadigas living across the border.

Bommai said as the chief minister it was his duty to protect, patronage, and realize the dreams of people living in the border areas. Firstly, they must focus on the development of the Kannadigas in those places. The Kannadigas of the border areas will not be neglected and the government is providing all infrastructure of the Kannadigas in the border areas, giving them opportunities and a bright future. Hitherto, the Border Areas Development Authority was getting Rs 8 crore to Rs 10 crore.

The CM said whenever regions are created on a linguistic basis, differences are bound to crop up. It is not possible to draw a line between either the state or nation but it is important to forget all the differences as time progresses and live cordially. But the Kannadigas feel that it did not happen. In border areas, people live happily no matter what language they speak. People speak to him affectionately whenever he goes to the border areas during the Belagavi session. When there are no problems among the people living in the border areas, dragging the problems for a long will not do well for the state or the nation. It must be understood by everyone. “Kannada is a rich language and there is clarity. It has a bright future. No one needs to become panic and Kannada does not require the government’s protection. It faces no tension. The Kannada language has bagged the maximum number of Jnanapith awards. It has been winning the Jnanapeeth award despite strong competition from other languages. The jnanpith award has come based on merit as it has great literature, vachanas, and Dasa Sahitya which are nearer to life. People’s literature is the best literature and the works must be conveyed to people in the simplest language or else it will become a dictionary. We don’t want dictionary literature but one which is easily understood by people. If the Kannada language has survived and grown it is because of litterateurs”.

He said he was happy that the annual souvenir, ‘Avva’ is brought out in the name of his mother. Through this, the world’s best prose, poems, and stories on mothers will be published. Bringing all those works to Kannada will further enrich this language. At a time when the world is becoming smaller, the Kannada language must become supreme. The work of Ligade and Pattadevaru in the border areas was great as the unification of Kannada was not so much easier. The hearts of Kannadigas became one as the administrators during pre and post-independence gave importance to the Kannada Ekikaran movement. At that time literature had played a pivotal role. They are blessed to have been born in Karnataka. The Authority is doing a good job and the government will give all the assistance and grants to work more.

Jnanpith awardee Dr. Chandrashekar Kambar, Karnataka Border Areas Development Authority Chairman Dr.C.Somashekar, M.S.Sindhur, former minister Leeladevi R.Prasad, and Ashok Chandargi were present.