Latest news with #Kannadiga
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Why Kannada deserves more than apologies
Let me just come out and say it: Kannada-dalli maathadi. Which is like saying, Hindi mein baath kijiye. Or Tamizh pesu. I have chosen these three languages for a reason. This week, actor Kamal Haasan offered up a third instance of folks being caught in a Kannada language controversy. The players may be different, but the script is the same. Singer Sonu Nigam refused to sing a Kannada song in his Bengaluru concert and later issued an apology. An SBI bank manager in Bengaluru was caught on camera speaking in Hindi to a Kannada-speaking customer and then proclaiming that she would never learn Kannada. And now, Kamal Haasan who said that Kannada was born from Tamil. All three, in their own way, have cast aspersions on the Kannada language which, by the way, boasts the largest number of Jnanpith awardees, save Hindi. Does the Kannadiga have an inferiority complex? Is this why language tensions have taken over the state? These days, we have auto drivers who demand that their rides speak to them in Kannada. In the past year, vandals broke and removed signs in Central Bengaluru that did not have Kannada signage. The government had to issue a directive ordering signage that included Kannada, and now, all over the city, you see signs in Kannada. I moved to Bengaluru nearly 20 years ago. I learned and now speak Kannada. It has opened the city to me in a way that would not be possible without speaking the local tongue. What befuddles me is that this has become a controversial issue rather than the norm. If a Kannadiga moves to Kanpur and speaks in Kannada rather than Hindi, do you think the local folks there would put up with it? Catch a Chennai auto driver giving the time of day to anyone who doesn't speak Tamil, and I can say this because I grew up in Chennai. But Kannadigas are expected to speak in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu or whatever language is thrown at them. And they do. That's the thing. Bangaloreans are by and large accepting, flexible, and multilingual. This is why people from all over the world feel comfortable here. They have all been accommodated. Until now. What happened? To paraphrase a famous historical speech, it has taken a while for the soul of the Kannadiga, long suppressed, to find utterance. To use the language of school bullies, the people of Karnataka have put up and shut up for a long time. Immigrants from all over India have populated their state and city without assimilating into their language or culture. Isn't language the real route to culture? I know North Indians who have lived in Bengaluru for 30 years and say that they cannot speak a word of Kannada. Would this be possible in any other state or city? I doubt it. Then why should a Kannadiga put up with this? I think it is about time the state and this city get their hackles up to safeguard their language. As someone who has learned it as an adult, I can tell you that it is not a difficult language. Immigrants come, stay, make their living, livelihood and indeed fortunes from this state. To expect them to learn the local language is not jingoism. It is the norm in most Indian states and cities. Why should Karnataka and Bengaluru be any different? Shoba Narayan is Bengaluru-based author. The views expressed are personal.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Kannada remark: No ‘Thug Life' if Kamal Haasan doesn't apologise, Karnataka film body
The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) has declared that Kamal Haasan's upcoming film 'Thug Life' will not be released in Karnataka unless he apologizes for his controversial remarks about the Kannada language. BENGALURU: Sending a strong message to actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan for his alleged provocative remarks on Kannada language, the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) Thursday said it would not allow the release of the star's upcoming film 'Thug Life' in Karnataka unless he apologises to the people of the state. A day after Kannada and culture minister Shivaraj Tangadagi wrote to KFCC, seeking a ban on Kamal's films, office-bearers of the chamber held a meeting with all stakeholders, including the distributor of his upcoming film here. 'The minister and several pro-Kannada groups demanded a ban on Kamal Haasan's movie. The chamber has decided that the actor must apologise. We are reaching out to him to make him apologise,' said M Narasimhalu, the president of KFCC, adding that Venkatesh, who has the distribution rights for 'Thug Life', was also summoned for Thursday's meeting. Sa Ra Govindu, former president of KFCC, said: 'As a Kannadiga, I strongly condemn Kamal Haasan's statement. The actor's production team have assured us a reply from the actor.' Meanwhile, minister Tangadagi, who met Kannada star and film producer Shivaraj Kumar at a private function, appealed to him to take a tough stand on Kamal's remark. 'You are like a big brother for the entire Kannada film industry. We cannot remain quiet when somebody speaks lightly about our language. You should take a tough stand and raise your voice against Kamal Haasan's comment,' he reportedly urged Kumar.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
No ‘Thug Life' in Karnataka if Kamal Haasan doesn't apologise: Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce
Bengaluru: Sending a strong message to actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan for his provocative remark on Kannada language, the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) on Thursday said it would not allow the release of the star's upcoming film 'Thug Life' in Karnataka unless he apologises to the people of the state. A day after Kannada and culture minister Shivaraj Tangadagi wrote to KFCC, seeking a ban on Haasan's films, office bearers of the chamber held a meeting with all stakeholders, including the distributor of his upcoming film here. "The minister and several pro-Kannada groups demanded a ban on Kamal Haasan's movie. The chamber has decided that the actor must apologise. We are reaching out to him to make him apologise," said M Narasimhalu, the president of KFCC, adding that Venkatesh, who has the distribution rights for 'Thug Life', was also summoned for Thursday's meeting. Sa Ra Govindu, the former president of KFCC, said: "As a Kannadiga, I strongly condemn Kamal Haasan's statement. We have already briefed his production team, and they have assured us a reply from the actor." Meanwhile, minister Tangadagi, who met Kannada star and film producer Shivaraj Kumar at a private function, appealed to him to take a tough stand on Haasan over his controversial remark. "You are like a big brother for the entire Kannada film industry. We cannot remain quiet when somebody speaks lightly about our language. You should take a tough stand and raise your voice against Kamal Haasan's comment," Tangadagi reportedly urged Kumar.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
It is the right time to release the first-ever Kashmiri-Kannada film, say makers
Harmukh , the first-ever Kashmiri-Kannada movie, just had its trailer release in Srinagar. The story follows the lives of a Kashmiri and a Kannadiga family settled in Kashmir and their unique bond. The film's director-producer Ashok Cashyap and senior actor-director TS Nagabharana say that this is the right time to release such a movie, especially after the unfortunate Pahalgam incident. Congratulations! You have successfully cast your vote Login to view result This story is inspired from my own life; I have lived in Kashmir for a very long time 'THE ENTIRE FILM WAS SHOT IN KASHMIR LAST YEAR, WITH NO ISSUES' Actor Nagabharana and director Ashok recall the fact that Kashmir was warm and welcoming when they were shooting last year. 'We shot in some of the rural areas, and we managed to get all our work done with utmost ease. There were no issues or protests of any form, and people were more than happy to help us out,' says Ashok. 'What has happened there this year, is very unfortunate. But when we shot there, even late at night, everyone was just very cooperative; it felt like we were working with our own family,' adds Nagabharana. We need to reinforce the idea that it is safe to go to Kashmir. We are planning to screen three shows of our film per day in Srinagar 'THE STORY IS ABOUT NATIONAL INTEGRATION AND FRIENDSHIP THAT GOES BEYOND BORDERS' About the story, Nagabharana tells us, 'My family, including my wife and son, are Kannadigas. We settle in Kashmir, and we make friends with a family there, and we become so close that our kids are also like siblings. Something dramatic then happens, which forms the crux of the story.' Ashok, who has a long-standing connection with Jammu and Kashmir, says he's seen how the times have changed, and the concept of a Kashmiri and Kannadiga being friends is also a first-of-a-kind one in that region. 'This story is inspired from my own life; I have lived in Kashmir for a very long time. It is about national integration and friendship that goes beyond borders. Now seemed like a good time to release the trailer because we need to reinforce the idea that it is safe to go to Kashmir and that they are also just like us,' he says. People in J&K are fond of tourists and want more people to see the beautiful place they call home
News18
4 days ago
- Politics
- News18
‘Nehru Had Nothing To Do With HAL': Mysore Royal Scion Fact-Checks DK Shivakumar
Last Updated: BJP MP and Mysore royal scion Yaduveer Wadiyar said HAL was founded by Walchand Hirachand with support from the Mysore Kingdom, not by Nehru, as claimed by Karnataka's Deputy CM Who really established Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)? Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar recently claimed that Jawaharlal Nehru was its founder. But BJP MP and Mysore royal scion Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar has pushed back—both publicly and online—asserting that Nehru had nothing to do with HAL's founding, and that the credit rightly belongs to industrialist Walchand Hirachand and the Kingdom of Mysore. 'THIS IS A KANNADIGA INSTITUTION' Speaking to reporters, Wadiyar made his position clear: 'The Deputy Chief Minister said it's Nehru's contribution. We need to clarify that. In 1940, Walchand Hirachand approached many kings with the idea of an aircraft development system. Only the King of Mysore agreed." He underscored the foundational role played by the Mysore government, saying: 'The Government of Karnataka, back then the Government of Mysore, gave around 700 acres of land. The initial investment came from the Government of Mysore. The king decided not to give the share to anyone else." Wadiyar stressed that HAL's origins were firmly local: 'This is a system that has been developed by the Kannadigas, under Kannadiga leadership. We also need to remind the DyCM. He has a compulsion to attribute everything to a dynasty and high command, but we need to tell this clearly to him." He also made a pitch for HAL to remain in the state: 'HAL should be kept in Karnataka itself. Even if other defence centres come up, it must remain here. This is what we are telling the Chief Minister as well." Wadiyar traced HAL's roots back to William D. Pawley, an American industrialist who had earlier worked with China's Nationalist government to establish CAMCO (Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company) in 1933. In October 1939, on a Pan Am flight to Hong Kong, Pawley met Walchand Hirachand. That accidental meeting sparked the idea of building aircraft in India. Pawley arrived in India in July 1940 and secured British approval for the project within 72 hours. Walchand first pitched the idea to shareholders of The Scindia Steam Navigation Company, but they rejected it. He then approached Indian princely states—Baroda, Gwalior, Bhavnagar, and Mysore. Only the Mysore Maharaja accepted the proposal. In October 1940, Pawley and Walchand visited Bangalore. The Mysore government granted 700 acres of land, invested Rs 25 lakh in equity, and offered institutional support. On 23 December 1940, Hindustan Aircraft Company was incorporated under the Mysore Companies Act, with Walchand as chairman. Work began immediately, and within three weeks the first building and runway were ready. The Government of India placed its first order: By April 1941, the British Indian government also invested Rs 25 lakh. As the Japanese threat loomed, CAMCO machinery was relocated from China to Mysore. On 29 August 1941, HAL delivered its first Harlow trainer to the Indian government. After Pearl Harbor, the British took control of HAL in April 1942. Walchand was bought out for Rs 57 lakh. While the Mysore government refused to sell its stake, it ceded temporary control during World War II. In 1943, the facility was handed to the US Army Air Forces, becoming the 84th Air Depot, a key Allied aircraft repair hub across Asia. After the war, the Mysore government resumed active partnership in 1946. HAL was restructured as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited on 1 October 1964, under the Ministry of Defence. Wadiyar's historical account also points out that HAL's journey wasn't just industrial—it was strategic. Initially, the company produced aircraft under foreign licence, including: But by 1951, India's aviation ambitions took flight. The HT-2 Trainer—the country's first indigenous aircraft, designed under Dr V.M. Ghatge—had its maiden flight. Over 150 HT-2s were eventually delivered to the Indian Air Force. In the following years, HAL successfully developed several indigenous aircraft: Pushpak – for flying clubs Krishak – for Air Observation Post duties HF-24 'Marut' – India's first jet fighter HJT-16 'Kiran' – a basic jet trainer 'A FORGOTTEN ROYAL CONTRIBUTION' Despite the Mysore state's foundational role, Wadiyar noted, neither HAL nor the Karnataka government publicly acknowledges the contribution. 'HAL's website features only Walchand's photo. A forgotten royal contribution to Indian aviation," he wrote. He concluded by calling on leaders to stop rewriting history for political gain: 'Instead of misrepresenting facts and glorifying the Nehru/Gandhi family… the government and the Honourable Deputy CM should focus on ensuring HAL is strengthened. He should take pride in knowing this institution was built by Karnataka's leaders and remains a symbol of the state's contribution to Bharat." Get Latest Updates on Movies, Breaking News On India, World, Live Cricket Scores, And Stock Market Updates. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : DK Shivakumar Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: May 28, 2025, 20:46 IST News politics 'Nehru Had Nothing To Do With HAL': Mysore Royal Scion Fact-Checks DK Shivakumar
