Bengaluru: Another writer has rejected the Kannada Rajyotsava award along with Udupi based activist Dr. Ravindranatha Shanbhogue.
Kannada writer D S Nagabhushan has rejected the award stating that he has taken this decision in protest against the state government’s failure to make Kannada medium compulsory in the primary education.
Originally the state government had selected 62 people for this coveted award given on November 1 evening by the chief minister. But with two of the awardees rejecting the awards, the number has come down to 60.
In his letter to Kannada and Culture minister Umashri, D S Nagabhushan informed that unless and untill the government makes Kannada as the mandatory medium of instruction in the primary school level it is impossible to save the language.
“Kannada language is providing livelihood to thousands of people. If Kannada is not made compulsory at the primary school level it may end up with death of this language,” he stated in his letter.