Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SB)
Mangalore, Aug 16: The district unit of Kannada Sahitya Parishad (KSP) has urged Kannada Development Authority (KDA) to initiate disciplinary action against Vittal First Grade College principal for allegedly adopting anti-Kannada stand.
In a letter to KDA chairman Mukhyamantri Chandru, KSP district president Pradeep Kumar Kalkura has alleged that prof Laila Mary George discontinued Kannada as an optional language for students in the college despite students willing to study the language. The decision to discontinue Kannada was taken much before admissions, it is alleged.
Kalkura has further stated in the letter that the principal had written (in a letter dated-May 16, 2009) to the department of collegiate education seeking permission from the department to discontinue Kannada as an optional language from 2009-10 and to introduce Hindi instead. Principal has further justified her decision by stating that only five students had opted for Kannada in the previous academic year, he cited in the letter.
However, the department had directed the college in a letter dated August 6 to continue teaching the subject as it was the language of the state. Following this few students attended Kannada classes. But, Kalkura further alleged in his letter that principal soon discouraged such students from attending the classes and also said that enrolment list sent to Mangalore University was rejected and thus they could not study the subject.
Kalkura has demanded to initiate disciplinary action against the principal for not informing the head of the Kannada department, college development committee and also deputy commissioner who heads District Kannada Implementation Committee.