Linguist calls for cultural unity among speakers of Dravidian languages

The Hindu

4 hours ago

Linguist Ganesh Devy has called for cultural unity among Dravidian languages. 'We should all realise that no language is our enemy. Tamil or any other South Indian language is not the enemy of Kannada,' he said in Dharwad on June 22.
'There is no point in harbouring hostility towards speakers of Tamil or any other southern language, or vice versa. Our real opposition should be directed towards Hindi imposition,' he said after inaugurating a symposium 'The Identity of the Kannada Language organised by the Karnatak Vidyavardhakh Sangha.
Prof. Devy emphasised the need for unity among the Dravidian language-speaking States of the south to launch a collective resistance against Hindi imposition.
He said that population growth in south Indian States is declining, while the population in Hindi-speaking northern States is increasing. Delimitation (reallocation of Lok Sabha constituencies) based on population in the future is likely to reduce the number of constituencies in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Kerala, and an increase in the north. As a result, southern States could have reduced representation in Central politics, he warned. He said that southern States must stop quarrelling among themselves and recognise this emerging political marginalisation.
'We must understand northern Indian politics, and coexist peacefully. Why fight between languages? Earlier, the British followed a divide-and-rule policy. What's happening now is similar. People speaking Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Marathi are being divided and ruled. This must end immediately,' he said.
Veteran writer Sangamesh Savadattimath said a controversial statement by a so-called scholar about the origin of Kannada language had awakened the pride of Kannada speakers, likening them to a sleeping lion that has now risen as a roaring tiger.
He noted that occasional provocative remarks by certain Tamil and Marathi chauvinists continue to stir Kannada pride. However, once the response comes out, those voices fall silent. 'It is unfortunate that regardless of which government is in power, the struggle to preserve Kannada continues,' he said.
KVS president Chandrakant Bellad released Bhashe-Buduku, a book edited by Santosh Hanagal, the presence of KVS general secretary Shankar Halagatti, Dhanvant Hajavagal, Veeranna Waddin, and Sanjiv Kulkarni.