Badiadka, July 23: What began as an invitation to inaugurate a new cultural landmark turned into an important discussion on the future of Kannada-speaking people living in Kerala's border district of Kasaragod.
A delegation from the Karnataka Border Area Development Authority met Kerala Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday, inviting him to inaugurate the newly built Kannada Bhavan at Badiadka while also placing before him a detailed memorandum on issues affecting the Kannada community in Kasaragod.
The ₹2-crore Kannada Bhavan, built by the Karnataka government, has been named after Rashtrakavi Dr. Kayyara Kinhanna Rai, one of the most respected literary figures from the border region. The building is expected to become a centre for Kannada language, literature and cultural activities for Kannada-speaking families in Kasaragod.
However, the delegation said the meeting was not just about the inauguration. It was also an opportunity to draw the Kerala government's attention to several long-pending concerns of Kannada-speaking residents.
Led by Border Area Development Authority Chairman Somanna Bevinamarad and Secretary Prakash Mattihalli, the delegation requested the Kerala government to safeguard the educational, linguistic and administrative rights of Kannada-speaking minorities in Kasaragod.
Among the key demands were exemption of Kasaragod district from the proposed Malayali Language Bill-2025, restoration of Kannada signboards at railway stations, national highways and other public places, implementation of reservation benefits for Kannada-speaking minorities in government recruitment, inclusion of Kannada in public service documents such as ration cards and voter ID cards, and immediate filling of vacant Kannada teacher posts in government and aided schools.
According to members of the delegation, Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan responded positively to the requests. He assured them that he would discuss the Kannada Bhavan inauguration with the Karnataka Chief Minister to finalise a convenient date. He also promised to examine the issues raised in the memorandum and direct the concerned departments to take appropriate action.
The meeting was attended by Manjeshwar MLA A.K.M. Ashraf, Kerala Kannada Sahitya Parishat President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayana Thottethodi, Dr Prasanna Rai, Mahin Kelot, Z.A. Kayyar, Dr. Mallikarjun Nashi, Shareen Mohammed, Border Area Development Authority member A.R. Subbiah Katte, and several representatives of Kannada organisations from the border region.
For thousands of Kannada-speaking families in Kasaragod, the meeting represents more than an official courtesy. It has renewed hopes that longstanding demands relating to language, education and representation may finally receive attention at the highest level of the Kerala government.
Keywords
Kasaragod Kannada community, Kannada Bhavan Badiadka, Kerala CM V D Satheesan, Karnataka Border Area Development Authority, Kayyara Kinhanna Rai, Kannada language rights, Citizen News Puttur