Karnataka government is aiming to strengthen Kannada medium schools in other states apart from Karnataka itself, said Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai after inaugurating ‘Karunada Sambrama’ organized by a media house here on Saturday.
“Along with the development of Kannada Medium schools in border areas, steps have been taken to improve the Kannada schools in other states too,” Bommai said.
Bommai said that Kannada is the identity of the state’s people and it must be protected, adding that wherever they go in the country, people will identify them as Kannadigas.

“Our land is quite special and different. The new tagline given for Karnataka is ‘God’s Living Country,” Bommai said.

He further congratulated Kannada scholars and said that eight Kannada scholars have bagged the prestigious ‘Jnanpith’ awards and no other state in the country has bagged so much of this award.
“Earlier, West Bengal was known as the land of literateurs and I feel very lucky to have been born in Kannada Nadu. I want to be born in Karnataka whenever I get a chance to do more for the people of Karnataka,” he added.

Recently, Bommai also announced that his government as decided to give special grants to Kannada medium schools in Maharashtra and also pension to Kannadigas in the neighbouring State who fought for the unification of the State, as per agency reports.

The chief minister also said that protecting the interests of a large number of Kannadigas residing in Maharashtra is the duty of the State government.
In September this year, the Karnataka government has also introduced a bill in the Assembly providing reservation to Kannadiga’s in higher education and professional courses, and linking any concessions or grant-in aid for industries with jobs for locals.

The bill defines Kannadiga as a person or his parents or in their absence legal guardian who is/are ordinarily resident of Karnataka for not less than 15 years and having knowledge of reading and writing Kannada; and proposes penal provisions in case of violations of rules.