Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar said on Friday that on November 1, the state’s foundation day, all schools, colleges, commercial buildings and factories in Bengaluru will have to hoist the Kannada flag. Shivakumar also said that about 50% of the people living in Bengaluru Urban district are from other states, and they should also give priority to learning Kannada. The government has also made it mandatory for IT and tech companies to take photos of the flag hoisting and submit them to the Bangalore Municipal Corporation for documentation. The present Karnataka state was established on November 1, 1956 by merging Kannada-speaking areas in South India, since then the foundation day is celebrated on November 1 every year. Shivakumar said – It is necessary for those living in Karnataka to know Kannada Shivakumar said about the government’s order – ‘We are celebrating the completion of 50 years of renaming Mysore state as Karnataka. November 1 is a day of celebration for Kannadigas. I have prepared a new programme under which Kannada flag should be hoisted compulsorily in all schools and colleges, factories, businesses including IT-BT sector. Shivakumar also said that everyone should realise that no one can live in Karnataka without knowing Kannada. Kannada flag order made compulsory in Bengaluru Shivakumar said in a media interaction, ‘It is everyone’s duty to learn Kannada in Kannada land, we have made Kannada compulsory as a subject in schools. Such programmes of hosting Kannada flags are organised in villages, but as district minister in Bengaluru city, I am making it compulsory.’ However, Shivakumar also warned pro-Kannada organisations that if they try to pressurise institutions or businesses for this move, legal action will be taken against them. Earlier, an order was also given to write 60% Hindi on signboards.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had issued an order on 25 December 2023, making it mandatory to write 60% Kannada language on the signboards of all shops, hotels and malls in the city. The shop owners were given time till 28 February. If this is not done, the license of the shops was warned to be cancelled. For this, the Kannada Language Comprehensive Development (Amendment) Bill 2024 was introduced in the House during the current budget session. However, Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot had sent back that ordinance.
