Hindi, Urdu and host of other languages have flourished in state, but there are concerns now - is it actually fetching more jobs, and is Kannada identity being lost?
Down the decades, writers and activists in Karnataka have made murmurs against the mandatory inclusion of Hindi as a subject in schools through the three-language formula. However, successive state governments have implemented it with little resistance — unlike Tamil Nadu, which has staunchly retained the two-language formula of English-Tamil.
Such wide acceptance of the three-language formula in Karnataka can be attributed to the influence of Hindi in several parts of the state and the metropolitan culture of its capital, Bengaluru.
Even in the 10th century, the influence of North Indian languages was evident. The celebrated Kannada poet Pampa, also known as Ādikavi, composed the Pampa Bharata epic in Kannada. Although he served as the court poet for a Kannada king, his work was notably influenced by Vedavyasa’s Sanskrit Mahabharata, highlighting centuries of cultural interplay.
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Karnataka's language culture
Karnataka has a unique geopolitical situation. In North Karnataka, historical connections with, and cultural influences from, neighbouring Maharashtra (particularly Mumbai) and Hyderabad regions have introduced elements of Urdu and Hindi into the local culture even though Kannada remains the mother tongue.
In Coastal Karnataka, strong socio-economic ties with Mumbai have normalised the use of Hindi despite Tulu being the primary language for many.
The interplay of Hindi, Urdu and Kannada in Karnataka reflects a complex mix of historical influences and modern socio-economic dynamics. As Karnataka continues to balance tradition with external influences, its linguistic future is likely to be as multifaceted as its past.
While Hindi and Urdu have left a noticeable imprint on parts of the state, their role in employment and cultural identity is increasingly being debated.
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Other languages
According to the 2011 Census, Karnataka’s population stood at 6.40 crore, with 4.30 crore Kannada speakers and about 2 crore speakers of other languages. After accounting for local languages such as Tulu, Kodava, Konkani and Byari (totalling around 50 lakh), roughly 1.60 crore people speak Hindi.
This means some 68 per cent of the population are native Kannada speakers, Purushottam Bilimale, Chairman of the Kannada Development Authority, who is also a Kannada writer, told The Federal.
Bengaluru lies close to the Old Mysuru region — a traditional Kannada stronghold. However, its metropolitan nature has attracted speakers of Tamil, Telugu and Hindi, thereby allowing Hindi to permeate further into the state.
Bilimale pointed out that North Karnataka’s historical ties with Hindi and Urdu have facilitated the implementation of the three-language formula in Karnataka, in contrast to Tamil Nadu.
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Growing concerns
However, Karnataka’s soft corner for Hindi and its stance on the three-language formula has proved detrimental to Kannadigas in various fields, fear language experts. This has led many Kannadigas to feel insecure about the current language policy. They now increasingly want a bilingual formula similar to the one in Tamil Nadu.
The Union government has warned state administrations that failure to implement the three-language formula could lead to the withholding of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan scheme grants, totalling Rs 2,480 crore.
While the Tamil Nadu government led by Chief Minister MK Stalin has taken a strong stand against the formula — expressing little concern about potential financial repercussions — Karnataka has not shown a similar political resolve, according to K Raje Gowda, a member of Kannada Sene, a pro-Kannada group.
Hindi’s advantages?
There is a widespread perception that learning Hindi enhances job prospects, particularly in North India’s Hindi-speaking belt — including Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad and Delhi. Hindi proponents argue that fluency in the language opens doors to opportunities in Delhi-NCR.
However, there is much scepticism on how many individuals from Karnataka have obtained jobs here solely on the basis of their Hindi skills.
For instance, per 2011 Census figures, there were just 10,800 Kannadigas employed in Delhi-NCR, against 1.20 lakh Tamilians, 90,000 Malayalis and 1.30 lakh Telugu speakers.
These numbers raise questions about the practical value of Hindi proficiency for Kannadigas, as explained by Purushottam Bilimale, chairman of the Kannada Development Authority, to The Federal.
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Solving the row
The concerns about losing the Kannada identity to those of other languages including Hindi and Urdu also have to be
A positive step at this moment would be to enforce, through binding legislation, the requirement that the medium of instruction in all schools (aided, government or private) be the child’s mother tongue, home language or regional language, say experts.
Such a measure could alleviate the difficulties associated with the medium of instruction. Moreover, if, alongside the implementation of the three-language formula, all types of schools were required to instruct students in their mother tongue up to a certain level — enforced through strong political will — a permanent solution to the issues surrounding both the language formula and the medium of instruction could be found.
In this regard, if the Union Education Ministry deliberates and adopts a decisive policy, all states could move forward, according to PV Niranjanaradhya, a member of the Karnataka State Education Policy Draft Committee.
