Legal status soon for comprehensive development of language: Bommai

Haveri (Karnataka) [India], January 6 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday said the state government is committed to giving a legal status for the comprehensive development of language with 80 per cent priority for the Kannadigas in industries, special funds for the border areas development and protecting interests of Kannadigas living within and across the border.
Speaking at the 86th All India Kannada Sahitya Sammelana here on Friday, Bommai said Kannada is an ancient language and the life of Kannadigas is ancient and best.
"Culture, heritage and history are the core strength of Kannada language," he said.
The Kannada literary world has given the language life with emotions and meaning. Literature plays an important role in the culture of this language and it needs to be identified and promoted. The Chief Minister said the Kannada language must be spread across the country to ensure its growth everywhere and this is the main aim of the Kannada meet.
Bommai said retrospection is a must for any language or culture to grow and in that they must make an introspection of their roles and then build the future. "Kannada language will grow as long as Sun and moon existed. No language in India has won so many Jnanpith awards as the Kannada language. Eight literary giants of Kannada have bagged the Jnanpith award. Besides, two Saraswati Sanman awards have come to Kannada," he said.
He said when leaders of North Karnataka launched the Kannada Ekikaran agitation, many litterateurs including Kuvempu joined the stir and united Kannada. Due to the concerted efforts, the Kannada language and Kannada are united.
He further said the state of Karnataka is fertile and there are 10 agriculture zones here. There will be one or the other crop in the state every day. In the last five years, 1.5 lakh hectares have been irrigated and the next decade will be the decade of irrigation, the government vows to complete all the irrigation projects in the next ten years, Bommai said. (ANI)