Vatal Warns of NH Bandh, Satyagraha Over ‘Malayalisation’ of Kasargod
He further warned, If corrective steps are not taken, Kannadigas will soon become a minority in their own land
Mangaluru: Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha president Vatal Nagaraj on Sunday alleged that Kasargod — a region historically linked to Karnataka — is undergoing a deliberate process of ‘Malayalisation’ and warned of intensified agitation if the issue continues to be ignored. He announced that Kannada organisations will hold a Mangaluru–Kasargod National Highway bandh followed by a Satyagraha in the third week of December.
“Kannada-medium schools are being shut down and Malayali teachers are being appointed even in Kannada schools. The Karnataka government must take this issue seriously. A Kasargod Convention will be organised in Bengaluru in the second week of December. Based on the resolutions passed there, we will stage the highway bandh and Satyagraha in Mangaluru in the third week,” Nagaraj told reporters.
Nagaraj also expressed concern over what he described as the loss of leadership and momentum in the Kannada movement after the era of writers like Kayyara Kinhanna Rai and Govinda Pai and nobody speaks about it in the legislature.
He further warned that the growing dominance of other languages in Karnataka poses a threat to local linguistic identity. “If corrective steps are not taken, Kannadigas will soon become a minority in their own land. Those working in the IT and BT sectors must recognise this,” he cautioned.
Accusing industries of ignoring Kannada-speaking candidates, Nagaraj said that companies that benefit from Karnataka’s land, water and electricity have failed to reciprocate with fair employment opportunities. “Around 11,000 acres of land was allotted to JSW in Ballari at the rate of Rs 1.5 lakh per acre, yet no one has verified how many Kannadigas were hired,” he said.
