Tensions Over Mandatory Kannada Signboards

BELAGAVI

The city, known for its linguistic sensitivity, is once again on edge over a fresh controversy surrounding the mandatory use of Kannada on signboards. With Ganeshotsav approaching next month, the police department is grappling with growing tensions between Kannada enforcement and opposition from Marathi outfits. The situation escalated after personnel from Belagavi City Corporation (BCC) removed a Marathi-only signboard put up by a Ganeshotsav Mandal at Patil Galli near Shani Mandal on Friday.

In defiance, the Mandal reinstalled the board on Saturday and called upon other Mandals to follow suit, intensifying the standoff. All this occurred on the day when the border in-charge minister, HK Patil, was in Belagavi. After BCC personnel removed the board of the Ganeshotsav Mandal on Friday evening at Patil Galli, the situation was tense. On Saturday, the office bearers of various Ganesh Mandals visited city police commissioner Bhushan Borase to detail the situation. They cautioned that it was the board welcoming the public for Ganeshotsav. Targeting such boards just because they are in the Marathi language does not send a good message and may also impact the upcoming Ganesh festival in the city, where more than 370 mandals install Ganesh idols in public places for 11 days.

Responding to them, police commissioner Borase mentioned holding discussions with the BCC commissioner in this regard. This is not the first incident in the past fortnight on linguistic grounds. The controversy started simmering since the visit of Kannada Development Authority (KDA) chairman, Purushottam Bilimale, to Belagavi city a fortnight ago.

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During the meeting with Bilimale, the leaders of Kannada outfits appreciated the govt officials who achieved 80 percent success in Kannada implementation on the signboards in the city according to the govt guidelines. They demanded achieving 100 percent success.