Sat Sep 14 04:46:58 UTC 2024: ## Kannada Groups Protest Mandatory Hindi Diwas Celebrations in Karnataka

**Bengaluru, September 13, 2024:** Kannada organizations in Karnataka have voiced strong opposition to the mandatory celebration of Hindi Diwas on September 14th. The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KaRaVe) has declared its intention to hold “Hindi Tithi Diwas” on the same day, a symbolic gesture associating Hindi with death, and has organized statewide protests.

The protest comes in response to the Union Government’s directive making Hindi Diwas celebrations compulsory across all government-owned banks, departments like railways, postal, income tax, Central Universities, schools, and public sector companies in Karnataka.

Protesters argue that the imposition of Hindi threatens the unity and integrity of the country, and they demand that the government cease its efforts to promote Hindi at the expense of other Indian languages.

A faction of KaRaVe, led by Shivaramegowda, plans to celebrate “Hindi Tithi Divas” in all district headquarters on September 14th.

Several Kannada groups, including the “Hindi Herike Virodhi Karnataka” (Anti-Hindi Imposition Karnataka), staged a protest in front of the State Bank of India head office on Kempegowda Road in Bengaluru on September 13th. They highlighted concerns about the increasing use of Hindi in various public institutions in Karnataka, arguing that it marginalizes Kannada and disregards the linguistic diversity of the state.

The protesters have put forth several demands, including:

* Making all 22 languages mentioned in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution official and administrative languages.
* Declaring Kannada as the official language in all Union Government departments and industries operating in Karnataka.
* Implementing a bilingual formula in Karnataka instead of the tri-lingual formula, which includes Hindi.
* Eliminating the mandatory learning of Hindi in schools.
* Prohibiting the use of Hindi in any official communication, application forms, digital boards, nameplates, ATMs, announcements, SMS messages, or public announcements in Karnataka.
* Ensuring that only Kannada-speaking individuals are allowed to work in Karnataka branches of government institutions.
* Formulating a separate recruitment rule for jobs in Karnataka, making Kannada compulsory in written tests.
* Reversing the merger of State Bank of Mysore, Syndicate Bank, and Vijaya Bank with banks from North India.

The protests highlight the growing tension surrounding language politics in India, particularly the perceived imposition of Hindi in non-Hindi speaking states. The ongoing debate promises to remain a contentious issue in the coming months.

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