Delegation to meet PM on classical language status to Kannada

Mysore, Nov 18 (UNI) A delegation led by noted scribe Patil Puttappa will call on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to impress upon the Centre to accord classical language status to Kannada.

Talking to newspersons after participating in a programme organised by 'Akhila Karnataka Vachana Sahitya Parishat' here today, he said they would also meet AICC President Sonia Gandhi as well as Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh to apprise them of the need for according classical status to the language, a demand, which was pending for a long time.

He accused Karnataka MPs of not evincing interest in getting the classical status for Kannada. But it was vice versa in Tamil Nadu, where the MPs played a pivotal role in getting the status for Tamil, Dr Puttappa said.

It may be recalled that former Vice Chancellor and noted writer D Javare Gowda, had taken up an agitation against the delay in according classical status to Kannada. He had staged four hunger strikes since last year with support from various Kannada organisations.

UNI