‘Namma Naadu Namma Aalvike' urges for two-language policy in Karnataka
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Kannada film lyricist Kaviraj, said, 'The aim of our campaign is to ensure that students are not burdened with a third language that holds little relevance to their immediate academic and social environment.'
He emphasised that children, already pressed for time, find it difficult to cope with an additional language. 'Children barely get five hours to study after returning home, and with three languages, they barely get even 30 minutes per subject,' he added.
Over the past seven months, NNNA has led a number of awareness campaigns, including a large-scale bike rally in Bengaluru on November 1, 2024. More than 27,000 people have signed petitions calling for the elimination of Hindi as a compulsory third language in schools.
The campaign draws inspiration from Tamil Nadu, which has long opposed the three-language policy but has still managed to maintain a high student pass rate. Kaviraj also pointed out that students' overall percentages are significantly pulled down if they perform poorly in languages, even if they excel in core subjects. 'In Karnataka alone, over 1,25,000 students have failed in Hindi, a language that many are not familiar with,' he noted.
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