Bengaluru Rural Congress MP DK Suresh on Friday questioned the implementation of three-language policy in Karnataka's educational institutions. Suresh's comment came a day after he reacted to the interim Budget 2024-25 slamming the Centre for allegedly directing funds from the south to the north.
The three-language formula, which requires the state educational institutes to incorporate Hindi in their curriculum, has been a widely contentious issue in the south Indian states.
"Why should Karnataka follow the three-language policy when none of the north Indian states have south Indian languages in their educational curriculum?" Suresh said in an interview with TV9 Kannada. "Take Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh as examples. Is Telugu, Tamil, Malyalam and our language (Kannada) taught in any north Indian schools?Give me any example. Now, we are fighting for our rights and we should be alert that that Hindi does not become the main language in south India."
Suresh has been vocal about the alleged bias of the Centre towards the north Indian states. On Thursday, he criticised the interim Budget and said that if the Centre continued to ignore the problems of the south Indian states, soon they would demand a separate country.
"If the discrimination in grants continues like this, it is inevitable that south Indians will raise their voice for a separate country. We are not getting the share of our state," Suresh said. "They (the Centre) are giving our money to north India. The Centre is doing injustice to the states in all matters. The Hindi side is putting pressure on us (the south Indian states). There is always injustice in the allocation of grants to the state."
Suresh's comments on separate country triggered criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members. However, quelling the outrage, Suresh's brother and state Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said that his brother only expressed "people's opinion".
"I am for Akhand Bharat. He has only expressed people's opinion. People are thinking like that because they are being neglected. The country is one. Since injustice is served to people, he has said that," Shivakumar said. "India should be together and one. We are all one. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, we are one. Every village should get justice."
