English medium classes: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Kannada activists trade words

BENGALURU: A budgetary proposal by state government to introduce English medium classes in 1,000 government primary schools has given rise to a war of words between Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw who has supported the government’s move and the Kannada Development Authority (KDA) which has decried the proposal.
Shaw’s tweet criticising pro-Kannada activists opposing the government’s move has enraged KDA chairman S G Siddaramaiah, who has shot off a missive asking her to refrain from making unsavoury comments against Kannada activists and organisations.Kannada writers including Mallika Ghanti and Siddalingaiah have written an open letter seeking her public apology.

In response, Shaw tweeted on Monday: “Political malcontents r trying to play mischief with my tweets. I have said students shd learn both Kannada and English for good job opportunities. I stand by this for the sake of Karnataka’s youth. Pls don’t twist my comments. CM is also saying this @CMofKarnataka”
Earlier on Saturday, the KDA chairman led a delegation to the chief minister urging him to bring in an education policy encouraging education in mother tongue and roll back the proposal to introduce English medium education. The delegation comprised freedom fighter H S Doreswamy, writers Chandrashekhar Kambar, Chandrashekhar Patil and Dr M Chidanandamurthy among others.
“Media always portraits a small & insignificant group of nay says as ‘activists’- these r usually attention seeking trouble makers who don’t care about education nor employment,” Shaw tweeted on Saturday.
Siddaramaiah in his letter to Shaw has said; “ I express my deepest sense of anguish on your tweet terming Kannada activists as insignificant naysayers. I have no option but to sympathise with your views on education, that is devoid of cultural and human values. It is but natural for people like you to simply equate education with employment, to wash your hands of by whimsically adopting few government schools out of your CSR funds and inculcate unwanted English ambitions in their minds.”
He said a responsible government nurtures the mother tongue in its best possible sense and in the best possible way. “While I need not have to explain all this to you, I thought this would at least instill a certain sense of responsibility in future before airing your views on some fundamental issues,” he said.