The 60% Kannada on Signboards Rule
Source: The Hindustan Times
Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, a pro-Kannada group in Bengaluru and some other places across the state held violent protests and destroyed properties in markets and business areas, especially attacking and damaging many signboards with the majority writing in a different language other than Kannada. The members of the group running this riot in the city went viral, and this language row took shape recently.
This group targeted the newly opened Phoenix Mall of Asia. The Phoenix Mall of Asia had been directed to shut down till January 16 for traffic-related reasons. The President of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike TN Narayan Gowda said that the intention of the group was only to hold an awareness rally about the 60% Kannada rule. The members of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, the pro-Kannada activist group were detained on Wednesday after they destroyed some in Bengaluru demanding the nameplates be put up in Kannada abiding by the guidelines of the Civic authority. The videos of the riot on Bengaluru City streets and in front of Phoenix Mall of Asia were viral.
The President of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike TN Narayan Gowda said his organization organized an awareness protest rally about the 60% Kannada rule on the sign boards which was a government law. Some videos that went viral claimed that the name plates that had Kannada apart from English were also destroyed. Later the cabinet on Friday agreed on an ordinance which enforces 60% Kannada language on signboards of shops, institutions and other places. According to this guideline, more than half of a sign board should be read in Kannada. February 28 was the deadline given, failing which the shops will be closed and their trade license will be cancelled.
The federation said the government should not take any action against the establishments before the deadline, it will ask all its members to follow the rule. About the 60% Kannada rule many establishments were not aware that it was a BBMP rule and not the demand of some fringe organizations. The president of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike TN Narayan Gowda said that the establishments can move out of Karnataka if they do not want Kannada names on their sign boards.
Later the chief minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah said that he did not know what the protesters were doing. He got information that the president of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike TN Narayana Gowda was protesting about having Kannada name boards. He said that they would take action against those people who took the law into their own hands and went against the law. During all this, the Karnataka BJP leaders blamed the Congress government for creating the Kannadiga versus Kannadiga row in Bengaluru.
Later union minister and Karnataka MP Pralhad Joshi backed the demand for 60% Kannada rule and asked why the establishments did not want Kannada signage.
Ref: The Hindu Newspaper.
